Hawksbill Sea Turtles....Is there hope? Kingdom:Animalia Phylum:Chordata Class:Reptilia Order:Testudines Family:Cheloniidae Genus:Eretmochelys Species:imbricata Overview: The hawksbill sea turtle is a smaller to medium size turtle. It weighs between 95-165lbs but can weigh up to 300 lbs, it is normally 2 ½ feet long but has been recorded up to 3 feet. The hawksbill sea turtle has one of the most beautiful carapaces (top shell) of all the sea turtles. It has a “tortiseshell” coloring ranging in all different colors from golden brown to black sometimes even with orange or red in it. The carapace’s edge is usually serrated with an overall shape of an oval or sometimes a heart. The hawksbill sea turtle gets it name from the shape of its head. The head is elongated and tapers to a point to create a beak or bill. This is necessary for the sea turtle because they feed on sponges and other invertebrates. They are set apart from all other sea turtles because they have two claws on each of the flippers. Habitat: Hawksbill sea turtle occupy many different habitats throughout their life. They hatch from a vegetated beach and then leave the dry land only to return from if they are female to that same beach to lay eggs. During their juvenile years they stay in the pelagic zone and take safety in the floating algal mats and drift lines. Once they mature and grow in size they will spend the rest of the lives along the coastal waters and coral reefs. They also will change their feeding style into final prey of sponges. Coral reefs still provide the safety that resting hawksbills need both day and night. They live all long the coastal waters along the equator. They most concentrated nesting areas of nesting is in Australia. Threat: The major threats that Hawksbill Sea turtle is loss of nesting beaches. This makes it very hard to bring their populations up. Another major threat they face is loss of food and habitat. They are keystone species, which means when they are present in an ecosystem then the ecosystem is healthy. Another issue is they are by catch in many fishing methods. They also sure come to poaching for their eggs along with their shells. Conservation Efforts: The major effort is coming together in a world effort because they travel from country to country and are starting to be protected among all of them. They are also changing fishing methods so that the by catch of sea turtles is lowered. They are also protecting the beaches at they lay at. Since sea turtles return to their natal beaches it is very important to protect them. It is the easiest way to raise the numbers up. Coral reefs are also being monitored much more closely, which will protect the reefs itself and all of the species it hosts. http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/turtles/hawksbill.htm http://www.fws.gov/northflorida/SeaTurtles/Turtle%20Factsheets/hawksbill-sea-turtle.htm
Atlantic Salmon-Farmed or Not Farmed? By Marjorie Niblack
History of Organism:
Atlantic Salmon once were common in all the rivers north of the Hudson River where now they are only seen in eleven rivers in the north. Atlantic Salmon have a complex life cycle where the female, after spending two winters at sea, goes to the fresh water rivers and lay her eggs. These eggs than hatch and live in the freshwater 1-5 years (the farther north they are the longer they stay in the freshwater) before moving out to the Atlantic Ocean. They are generally a smaller fish weighing about 8-12 lbs but can be up to 30 lbs depending on the year.
The Hudson Dam led to a great fall in the salmon populations as they were unable to spawn farther up the rivers and this, in addition to pollution, over harvesting, and predators caused the massive endangerment of Atlantic salmon.
Why it is being harvested and how it is a problem:
However, the fishery market still wanted this type of fish on the market and the aquaculture business started. This Atlantic Salmon is easy to harvest as it takes little fish meal to feed in comparison to wild Atlantic Salmon. With this efficient method of raising salmon and increase in jobs since 1980 the aquaculture industry has exceeded a million tons in 2000. With this large increase in aquaculture prices of salmon have dropped to an all time low causing pressure on farms to produce more, and when more is produced there is room for mistakes.
Some of the many issues are the chemicals used on the farmed salmon being released into the Ocean causing various dangers for wild fish in the Ocean. Feces and food are being released into the ocean as well causing an abundance of pollution to be dumped into the Ocean that, with a million tons a year, can be an overwhelming source of pollution. Also there is a danger in the “escapees” from the farms, causing invasive species in Alaska depleting the number of wild salmon present there, also the spread of disease from the farmed fish to the wild fish have been of great concern for the past decade.
Economically society also holds a concern, as these fish are easy to produce and are causing a rapid price drop in the salmon market that could lead to an overall collapse. The quality of fish is also in question; elevated PCB levels cause danger for children and adults that adults should never eat more than one meal per month and that children under 6 should only have a half a meal a month. Overall the rating of this fish is “Eco Worst Choice” and is advised not to be purchased or eaten when given the option of wild or canned salmon.
Regulations:
In 2010 Greenpeace International added Atlantic Salmon to the “seafood red list” which means that Atlantic Salmon are sold around the world commonly in fish markets, however it is advised to not purchase them as they are from “unsustainable fisheries”. In Alaska the Department of Fish and Game work to keep Atlantic Salmon out of the fishing grounds and contaminating the already present fish. They provide identification sheets, articles explaining the danger in capturing these fish and where to turn these fish into when they are caught.
The ESA in the United States is working to protect the wild Atlantic Salmon in the United States by adding the following criteria: “Section 9 of the ESA makes it illegal to take an endangered species of fish or wildlife. The definition of take is to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct. (16 U.S.C. 1532(19)) http://www.epa.gov/EPA-SPECIES/1998/May/Day-01/e11668.htm recently, adding to the protection of Atlantic Salmon. The Atlantic Salmon Conservation preserves wild salmon by working to open dams and keep the water for the Salmon fresh and unpolluted while managing poaching. They also keep detailed records of the number of fish trapped each year to see how the populations are on the rise.
The Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch
The world’s oceans are in serious trouble today and most of the reasons are human related. Although there are a myriad of problems facing the seas but one of the most conspicuous is the amount of trash that is being dumped into the waters. Of course every country is different and we differ even more on an individual base, but on average each of us produces over 1500 lbs of trash each year. That may be surprising enough, but on top of that a large percentage of that trash is made up of plastic, which is not biodegradable, so any plastic every produced still remains on Earth. One statistic even estimates that the plastic to sea life ratio has reached “6:1, where birds and mammals are dying of starvation and dehydration with bellies full of plastics; where fish are ingesting toxins at such a rate that soon they will no longer be safe to eat.”
It is not too certain how large the actual garbage patch is, but two estimates are that it is the size of Texas or even France. The major problem with measuring the amount of debris in the ocean and cleaning it up is that the ocean is extremely deep with many different layers, which provide a lot of room for these dangerous plastics to go. Nature does have its own way of attempting to fix the problem that humans have caused, but it is actually doing more harm than good. Through a process known as photodegradation, the sun degrades large pieces of plastic and makes them smaller and smaller and releases harmful chemicals that eventually affect the environment any way. Through photodegradation, the plastic is never actually removed from the sea, but is just made smaller and smaller, and eventually eaten by fish causing their premature deaths.
The formation of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is an example of how humans and nature do not mix. “Earth has five or six major oceanic gyres but one of the largest is the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, filling most of the space between Japan and California. The upper part of this gyre, a few hundred miles north of Hawaii, is where warm water from the South Pacific crashes into cooler water from the north. Known as the North Pacific Subtropical Convergence Zone, this is also where the trash collects.” So basically the trash is trapped where is sits for 6-7 years because the natural waters are not designed to accommodate this heavy a load and any animal that is unfortunate enough to travel through the area swims at its own risk.
One of the most serious ways the sea life is killed by the trash is through a phenomenon known as ghost fishing where old nets that are not in use anymore are left in the ocean and still do their job to capture fish, however these animals die for no reason at all because there are no fishermen around to retrieve them. Another major way animals die specifically to turtles is by eating things that seem to be food but are not. Turtles eat plastic bags thinking that they are jellyfish and other fish eat small pieces of plastic thinking that they are small pieces of food. Another example of animals eating small pieces of plastic that they mistake for food is when the bird Albatross picks up plastic that looks like fish eggs and they feed them to their young, and their young ultimately have slow painful deaths.
All hope is not lost though because there are many movements that are currently going on involving massive organizations as well as individuals. On the individual level people are encouraged to recycle everything even plastic because some scientists don’t see plastic as the enemy but we need to be able to recycle it so that we do not have to keep making more. On a more major level, Project Kaisei has been collecting samples of the debris in the garbage patch to analyze it and scientists from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography held a conference about the same topic.
Long-lining and Albatross: Murder on the High Seas by Bruce Winters
Kingdom Anamalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Aves
Order Procellariiformes
Family Diomediodae
Geni - Diomedea, Thallasarche, Phoebastria, Phoebetria
Albatross are a group of seabirds found throughout the Pacific and Southern Oceans. Their are 21 different species of Albatross, of these 19 are endangered, and the other 2 are considered threatened. Some species are on the brink of extinction, such as the Chatham's Albatross which has only 15 known mating pairs left in the world. Albatross spend their entire lives at sea, roosting on small islands only to mate. They usually nest on isolated islands; where colonies are on larger landmasses, they are found on exposed headlands with good approaches from the sea in several directions. Mating pairs of Albatross are established after several years and involve many ritualistic forms of dance, and once a pair mates they are monogomous, or for the rest of their lives they will only mate together.Albatross are considered K-selected organisms. This means that they live longer, reach sexual maturity, breed, have fewer young, and invest more into their young than other birds.
The Albatross has the largest wingspan of any bird, depending on the species, their wingspan can range from 5 feet to 11 feet across. These large wings which are disproportionate to their smaller bodies, allow the Albatross to fly for vast amounts of time while using very little energy. Albatross feed on squid, fish, krill, and carrion which they hunt from the air. When an albatross spots prey it will dive up to 12 meters into the ocean to catch it.
albatross distribution
Long Lining Long lining is a method of fishing that has been used for decades because it allows a large area to be fished at once using minimal effort. The process involves one long line that can be a few hundred yards to many miles, attached to this line are hundreds of shorter lines, each with hundreds of baited hooks, that sink down to a certain depth and wait for fish to take the bait. The fishing vessel will periodically pull up the lines to harvest their catch and re-bait the hooks. This is a problem because the Albatross sees this bait, which is usually smaller fish, and interprets it as food; swooping down to catch its prey, only to be hooked on the line. The line then sinks, and the albatross, unable to free itself, drowns. When the fishermen eventually pull up the line, which could be hours to days later, the bird is dead and is thrown back into the ocean. This is called bycatch, or the unintentional catch of an organism that is of no value to the fisherman, and it is often fatal. It is estimated that over 300,000 seabirds are killed every year when they become bycatch, of that, 100,000 are albatross. For a species like the Chatham's Albatross, thats not a risk we can take.
an albatross drowned by a long line
Hope forthe Future: Saving the Albatross
In order to combat the enormous number of albatross killed each year as bycatch, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and Birdlife International, started the "Save the Albatross Campaign". Using donations, grants, and other funds, they have created six Albatross task forces, located at "bycatch hotspots" in South America and Southern Africa. The mission of the task forces is to educate fisherman and citizens about the danger of bycatch and how it can be reduced or prevented. This increase in conservation education has greatly reduced the bycatch mortality rate of the albatross.
In May of 2009, South Africa designated the antarctic islands of Prince Edward, and the 180,000 square kilometers surrounding them, a marine protected area. Prohibiting all forms of fishing within these waters will allow the five species of albatross that roost on the islands to replenish their populations and secure a future for their species. The Prince Edward Marine Protected Area is one of the largest MPA's in the world, and provides a home to endangered seabirds, as well as endangered whales, seals, and penguins. South Africa's efforts will put pressure on other countries to preserve the world's oceans, hopefully ensuring a future for all species. http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/details.asp?id=tcm:9-245149http://www.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/albatross/?163741http://www.birdlife.org/action/campaigns/save_the_albatross/
Unintentional killing of Dolphins by use of Seine Fishing techniquesbyAmrita Mukherjee
Kingdom Anamalia
Phylum Cordata
Class Mammalia
Order Cetacea
Sub-order Odontoceti
Family Delphinidae
Genus Delphinus
Species Delphis
Dolphins along with whales and porpoises are descendants of terrestrial mammals, most likely of the Artiodactyls order. The ancestors of the modern day dolphins entered the water roughly 50 million years ago. Modern dolphins are different because they have two small rod shaped pelvic bones thought to be vestigial hind limbs but over the years of evolving, these limbs have virtually disappeared. Dolphins are essentially toothed whales belonging to the sub-order Odontocetes of the order cetacean. Even though dolphins can reach lengths of up to 20 feet they are still classified as small cetaceans. Dolphins also possess a distinct beak with conical shaped teeth, well suited to their diet. The Delphinidae family to which dolphins belongs is the largest and most diverse family of the cetacean order and it includes over 30 living species with most of the species found in the Hawaiian waters of the Pacific Ocean. In addition to its largest population center of Hawaii, dolphins are found in essentially all oceans and major seas across the world and some even exist in the large river systems. This distribution however is not random. Each species has evolved over millions of years to fit into a certain niche within the regional ecosystem. This niche relates to all aspects of the dolphins way of life ranging from its physical home to food, behavior, predator and physical environmental factors necessary for its survival. All dolphins are generally classified as carnivores. Some species feed on fish while others have a varied diet including fish, squids, crabs, shrimps and even lobsters.
Often confused with porpoises, dolphins have a beak and a curved dorsal fin whereas a porpoise has a blunt head and a triangular dorsal fin. Like other marine animals, dolphins have become greatly adapted to their environment over millions of years through evolution. Anatomically their bodies have become streamlined to move effectively in the aquatic environment. The tail fin, called the fluke, is used for propulsion, while the pectoral fins together with the entire tail section provide directional control. The main thrust comes from the vertical oscillations of the tail and flukes and most species are capable of speeds of up to 19 miles per hour with jumps of up to 30 feet or higher. The dorsal fin on the other hand provides stability while swimming. Their body is sleek and smooth and the hairless skin is rubbery to the touch, most species are characterized by a jaw protruding into a beak like snout above which is a large mass of fat and oil containing tissue forming the so called “melon” that appears to be like a bulging forehead. Being mammals, dolphins need to breathe air in order to maintain a high body temperature. The thick layer of blubber under the skin provides an effective insulation against heat loss to the environment. Captive dolphins have provided with suitable reproductive behavior patterns suggesting that mating usually occurs during the spring months. The female then carries the young calf for 11 to 12 months before delivery in a tail first manner. The newborn is capable of swimming and breathing within the first few minutes. The calf usually follows its mother closely with frequent suckling. Nursing continues for as long as 12 to 18 months after birth.
Dolphins are extremely and constantly vocal. Specialized mechanisms in the nasal passage below the blow-hole enables them to emit short, pulse-type sounds. These sounds, called clicks, can be produced in such rapid succession as to sound like a buzz or even a duck like quack. The clicks are used as a form of sonar, in which echoes of sounds from surrounding objects enable the animals to detect obstacles, other dolphins, fish and other tiny bits of matter in the water. This ability is termed as Echolocation. However deeper in the respiratory system, presumably in the larynx, dolphins produce another type of sound which is like a high pitched whistle. Apparently the dolphins use these whistles to communicate a particular emotional state and thus influence the behavior of other dolphins. It can even denote alarm or sexual excitement. Because dolphins are highly social and vocalize among themselves with a wide range of sounds, it has been thought that they might possess almost human like intelligence. In the 1950’s and 60’s well publicized experiments were conducted based on this concept, but was rejected on basis of poor documentation and lacking scientific validity. Because of the ability of dolphins to learn and perform complex tasks in captivity, their continuous communications with one another and their ability, through training to approximate the sounds of a few human words some investigators have suggested that the animal might be capable to learning a true language and communicating with humans. Next, describe the marine resource/organism that is being harvested and why it is a problem?
Seine fishing is a technique that uses a large fishing new that hangs vertically in the water by attaching weights along the bottom edge and floats along the edge of the top. This technique has greatly affected the dolphin population across the world and in particular the Pacific Ocean. Unobserved deaths of nursing calves due to separation from their mothers during fishing have increased in the region. Based on an analysis of dolphins killed between the year 1973 to 1990 and depending on the length at which calves are assumed to become independent, there was a deficit of calves relative to the number of lactating females killed in 24-32 percent of the 1874 spotted sets is an alarming discovery in recent years. Many believe that the problem lies further deeper in the strange travel patterns of tuna fish beneath schools of dolphins. Tuna fishermen were among the first people who discovered this phenomenon. In order to catch tuna underneath, they set mile-long purse –seine nets around the dolphins. In so doing, tens of thousands of dolphins were caught and drowned in tunas nets each year. In the early 1970s, conservationists brought these drowning to the public’s attention. Many however were either unaware that dolphin drowning occur, or believe that the problem was solved long ago. The problem really has its roots in a method of fishing developed by the American tuna industry in about 1960. The technique called “fishing on dolphin”, for unknown reasons, yellow-fin tuna and certain dolphins swim together. Scientists even suggest that tuna rely heavily on the dolphin’s acute sense of hearing or echolocation, to find food or to avoid predators. Since dolphins are air breathing mammals, spotting dolphins when they come to the surface is relatively easy. The tuna boats search for the dolphins and when they are able to locate a school, the boats deploy very long purse seine nets to entrap the tuna that swim below the dolphins. As the net is pursed, the tuna and dolphins are caught. This is a critical moment as dolphins are air breathing mammals and they are susceptible to drowning as the net encircles them. Since the 1960, when the U.S. developed the technology of “fishing on dolphins” an estimated 6000,000 dolphins have dies in purse seining nets. From 1959 to 1972 a total of about 4.8 million dolphins are estimated to have been killed. Finally, explain any recent legal changes that are affecting the marine resource/organism you choose and then describe at least 2 specific programs that are addressing the problem and leading to a solution. The Marine Mammal Protection Act was passed in 1972 and it was ascertained that the U.S. fleet was responsible for 87 percent of the dolphin kill. Since then, there has been a decrease in dolphin kill. Some people say that the decrease has not been enough. They fear that yellow fin tuna fishing has already drastically reduced the dolphin populations. Some scientists state that dolphin population danger signs already exist. They note that because estimates on the number of animals killed are based on actual body counts, the numbers can be seriously misleading. Individuals that have been injured and escaped only to die a short distance away are not counted.
Because of these fears, various environmental groups initiated a successful campaign to change the regulations governing yellow fin tuna fishing. They recognized that the United States Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) of 1972 calls for the reduction of marine mammal kills "to insignificant levels approaching zero mortality. In 1984, the U.S. Congress reviewed the Marina Mammal Protection Act and the representatives recognized that the dolphins were still in danger and they also recognized that the U.S. tuna fishing crews were at a competitive disadvantage. U.S. boats spent more money to fish in ways that did not capture dolphins. To provide help for the dolphins and the fishers, Congress amended the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The new Act required that each nation exporting tuna to the United States provide documentary evidence that it had adopted a program comparable to the U.S. dolphin protection program. Exporting nations also had to provide evidence that the average rate of accidental dolphin deaths caused by its fleet is comparable to that of the U.S. fleet. During an MMPA reauthorization hearing in April, 1989, it was noted that NOAA Fisheries hadn't yet completed regulations implementing the 1984 amendment. Foreign fleets were fishing and exporting tuna to the U.S. as they always had. It was also revealed that the U.S. tuna purse-seine fleet had declined by more than 60% in the last ten years but that the level of incidental dolphin take by the fleet had not gone down proportionately. The remaining boats were catching more, not fewer, dolphins. Finally, it was noted that the estimated numbers of dolphins killed by foreign fleets had increased dramatically in 1986 and 1987. Clearly, the 1984 changes in the Marine Mammal Protection Act were not being effectively implemented. Congress was not pleased by these findings. In light of these developments, Congress enacted additional amendments that require the Secretary of Commerce (the person ultimately in charge of enforcing the MMPA) to find the regulatory programs of other nations unacceptable unless:
They included prohibitions against encircling pure (i.e., single species) schools of certain marine mammals, and conducting "sundown sets". Sundown sets were prohibited because dolphins are harder to see and remove from nets during sunset hours. The nation's program would also need to implement other dolphin-saving measures applicable to U.S. vessels.
The nation's program reduced the average rate of incidental dolphin kills by its vessels to no more than 1 1/4 times that of American vessels.
The total number of eastern spinner dolphins, Stenella longirostris, taken incidentally during the fishing season does not exceed 15% of the total number of all marine mammals taken incidentally by vessels of the harvesting nation.
The total number of coastal spotted dolphins, Stenella attenuata, taken incidentally during the fishing season does not exceed 2% of the total number of all marine mammals taken incidentally by vessels of the harvesting nation.
The rate of incidental takes during the fishing season is monitored by the Porpoise Mortality Observer Program of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission or an equivalent international program in which the United States participates. The observer program must be based upon observer coverage equal to that of U.S. vessels during the same period.
The harvesting nation complies with all reasonable requests by the Secretary for cooperation in carrying out the scientific research program required by the MMPA.
The amendments also require that the government of any intermediary nation that exports yellowfin tuna or tuna products to the United States provide reasonable proof that these products didn't originate from a country without an appropriate dolphin-protection program.
The message from the U.S. Congress to other nations was meant to be clear: "Play by these rules, or don't sell tuna in this country".
In 1998 the 35th (Inter-governmental Meeting held in the context of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission under the International Dolphin Conservation Program) drew up an agreement on the “International Dolphin Conservation Program”, which is aimed at limiting dolphin mortalities during tuna fishing in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. This agreement was basically aimed at gradually reducing incidental dolphin mortalities in the tuna purse-seine fishery in the Eastern Pacific Ocean to levels approaching zero, through the setting of annual limits, and promoting research for the purpose of seeking ecologically-sound means of capturing large yellow-fin tunas not in association with dolphins. Lastly, it also ensured the long-term sustainability of tuna stocks by avoiding the by-catch and discard of juvenile fish. Also since the late 1970’s American boats have used a technique called “backing down” in which the boat pulls the net out from under the dolphins. This strategy has greatly reduced dolphin drowning.
Similarly the “Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society” has on-going campaigns to protect the dolphins that are affected by fisheries and human interaction. In addition the WDCS is trying to fulfill the obligations in order to ensure the long-term sustainability of dolphins. They have strongly emphasized on establishment of a system that provides incentives to vessel captains to reduce incidental dolphin mortality as well as a system of technical training and certifications. Also it has been recommended to establish a system for the tracking and verification of tuna fished without mortality or serious injury of dolphins.
Description: The killer whale is the most evenly distributed marine mammals. Killer whales have a distinct color pattern, with black dorsal and white ventricles. They also have a large white patch above and behind the eye. Adult Male killer whales can reach 32 feet in length and can weigh nearly 22,000 pounds. Adult Female killer whales can reach 28 feet in length and can weigh up to 16,500 pound.
Threats:
One small threat to killer whales is hunting because of their rare meat, but the major threat to killer whales is vessel traffic. Being struck by a boat is a very serious injury to killer whales and without medical attention can leave the Orca deformed, maimed or even killed. Another major threat is the effects of pollutants dumped into the oceans. Not only does it kill the whales but the ones that don't die are often unable to reproduce, which is very dangerous with endangered species.
Habitat:
Killer whales are evenly distributed through every ocean, but they prefer the comfort of cooler and polar waters. The largest population of killer whales lives in the antarctic ocean. The migration habits of killer whales are poorly understood. Each summer the same killer whales migrate from British Columbia and it is unknown where they go or why. Killer whales prefer salt water. But have been seen near fresh on occasion.
Diet: Killer whales prey on many species, although,populations show a high degree of specialization. Some populations in the Norwegian sea specialize in herring and follow that fish's migration to the coast. Other populations regularly eat seals. Northeast Pacific resident killer whales show that salmon accounted for 95% of their diet, with 60% of salmon prey being the Chinook.
Conservation:
Like other animals that are at the highest levels of the food chain, the killer whale is at very high risk of poisoning from of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).Whales near Europe have been shown to haven reproductive and immune problems. Blubber of killer whales in the Arctic show high levels of PCBs, pesticides and brominated flame-retardants. The IUCN state in their conservation measures, that the best ways to prevent the extinction ar as follows: Prey Availability Pollution/contaminant clean ups Create more defined vessel restrictions Education/Outreach Research and monitoring
Humpback Whales: Populations on the rise but for how long? by Ben McPherson Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Cetacea Family: Balaenopteridae Genus:Megaptera Species:novaeangliae
Overview:
Humpback whales are well known for their long pectoral fins, which can be up to 15 feet in length. Adult females are larger than males, reaching lengths of up to 60 feet. Their body coloration is primarily dark grey, but individuals have a variable amount of white on their pectoral fins and belly. This variation is so distinctive that the pigmentation pattern on the undersides of their "flukes" is used to identify individual whales, similar to a humans fingerprint.
Humpback whales are the favorite of whale watchers, as they frequently perform aerial displays, such as breaching (jumping out of the water), or slap the surface with their pectoral fins, tails, or heads.
In the summer, humpbacks are found in high latitude feeding grounds such as the Gulf of Maine in the Atlantic and Gulf of Alaska in the Pacific. In the winter, they migrate to calving grounds in subtropical or tropical waters such as the Dominican Republic in the Atlantic and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific. The Arabian Sea humpback, however, does not migrate, remaining in tropical waters all year.
Humpback whales travel great distances during their seasonal migration, the farthest migration of any mammal. The longest recorded migration was 5,160 miles (8,300 km). This trek from Costa Rica to Antarctica was completed by seven animals, including a calf. One of the more closely studied routes is between Alaska and Hawaii, where humpbacks have been observed making the 3,000 mile (4,830 km) trip in as few as 36 days.
Even though humpback population is increasing in abundance, it was estimated that prior to whaling humpback abundance in the southern hemisphere was 100,000 whales. Between the years of 1904-1980 it was estimated that 200,000 humpback whales were harvested in the southern hemisphere. In the North Pacific, humpback abundance was estimated at fewer than 1,400 whales in 1966, after heavy commercial exploitation. The current abundance estimate for the North Pacific is about 20,000 whales.
Threats:
Humpback whales face entanglement in fishing gear, ship strikes, whale watching harassment, habitat impacts and proposed harvest. Japan has proposed killing of 50 humpback whales as part of its program of scientific research under special permit, also Denmark recently proposed to hunt of 10 humpbacks a year off the coast of Greenland.
Conservation efforts:
In 1946, the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling regulated commercial whaling of humpback whales. In 1966, the International Whaling Commission prohibited commercial whaling of humpbacks. In June 1970, humpback whales were designated as "endangered" under the Endangered Species Conservation Act (ESCA). In 1973, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) replaced the ESCA, and continued to list humpbacks as endangered.
Most recent efforts by NoAA fisheries and its partners are to:
▪ Reduce bycatch in gillnet and trap/pot fisheries in the western North Atlantic through the __Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan__.
▪ Implement marine mammal take reduction measures identified in the Pacific Offshore Cetacean Take Reduction Plan.
▪ Mitigate ship strikes and respond to humpback whales in distress (see __Alaska__ and __Hawaii__ regulations).
▪ Educate whale watch vessels and boat operators on practicing safe boating around whales.
▪ Monitor humpbacks in U.S. waters via shipboard surveys and mark recapture studies.
Research humpback population structure and abundance including the __Structure of Populations, Levels of Abundance, and Status of Humpbacks (SPLASH)__ and More North Atlantic Humpbacks (MoNAH) projects as well as work done at the __Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary__.
Save The Endangered Manatees By Torey Johns Taxonomy:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Sirenia
Family: Trichechidae
Genus: Trichechus
Species: Inunguis
Overview: Manatees are large and mostly herbivorous marine mammals they can get up to 2000lbs. They are pretty friendly natured and curious, they get up to 12 feet long, with paddle-like flippers. Its tail is also paddle-shaped, and is the clearest difference between manatees and dugongs. Manatees can travel up to 40 and 50 miles a day if they want to.
Habitats: Manatees live in shallow, marshy coastal areas and rivers of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico (West Indian Manatee), the Amazon Basin (Amazonian Manatee), and West Africa (West African Manatee). Manatees like warmer waters and can’t survive below 60°F, their natural source for warmth during winter is warm-spring rivers. They also like to gather in the shallower waters. They frequently migrate through brackish water estuaries to freshwater springs. Diets: Manatees are herbivores and eat over 60 different plant species. They eat turtle grass, mangrove leaves, and some types of algae. Adult manatees will eat up to 10% of its body weight, about 110lbs per day. Manatees though will eat some small amounts of fish, usually that they find in nets though. Threats: Human activity is one of the biggest threats to all three of the manatee species. Manatee deaths in Florida caused by humans have increased year after year, and now account for about 20%-40% of recorded deaths. There were 417 manatee deaths in 2006 with 101 due to human causes according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Manatees can also be crushed in navigation locks, floodgates, or drown in pipes and culverts. They are also killed by entanglement in fishing gear every so often. Manatees are also vulnerable to red tides, which are caused by pollution and causes lower oxygen concentration in the water. Poaching of manatees is also another threat, but not a very significant one. Conservation Acts:
All three species of manatee are listed as vulnerable to extinction by the World Conservation Union. It is illegal to injure a manatee under federal and Florida law. The ships used by NASA to tow space shuttle rocket boosters back to Kennedy Space Center, are propelled by water jets to protect the endangered manatees that live in the Banana River region. Brazil also did something and outlawed hunting in 1973 to help preserve the species.
A Rise in European Giant Devil Ray Harvesting Causes a New Addition to the Endangered Species List
by Sarah Kemp Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Elasmobranchii
Order: Myliobatiformes
Family: Myliobatidae
Genus: Mobula
Species: M. mobular
The giant devil ray or devil fish is a species of eagle ray most commonly found in the Mediterranean Sea. They can grow to be 7m from wing tip to wing tip and have three pairs of functioning limbs; the pectoral fins, pelvic fins, and cephalic fins. The cephalic fins, which are at the head and point outward, resemble devil horns and thus give the giant devil rays their name. Their mouth can be found on their underside and they have a serrated spine at the base of their thin tail.
Giant Devil Ray Harvesting
Giant devil rays prey on crustaceans and small schools of fish. They also have a low reproduction rate and limited hunting range, which leads to sensitivity to the slightest environmental changes. In the Mediterranean, the greatest risks to this species are pollution and accidental capture from trawling and bycatch.
However, recently as a result of the decrease in shark populations, manta rays and giant devil rays have been harvested as filler in shark fin soup. The gills of these rays are also being harvested for medicinal purposes, as they are ground into a powder and sold as a purification medication in China. The tails of the rays are also harvested as cattle whips in areas such as Brazil.
Recent Legal Actions/Programs
As a result of this increase in harvesting, in 2004, devil rays were identified by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species as having significant unregulated, unsustainable fishing pressures and extreme population depletion.
Then in 2005, the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean adopted a measure to ban trawling below 1,000 m and banned driftnets throughout the Mediterranean. This is hoped to greatly decrease the threat of bycatch to the giant devilray in the Mediterranean.
Despite these efforts, in 2006 the IUCN Red list classified the giant devil ray as an endangered species. However, there is still hope that the programs that are being put into effect will gradually begin to increase the numbers of giant devil rays.
Despite Listing under the Endangered Species Act, Steller Sea Lion populations continue to struggle – by Veronica Quesnell Image 1. Steller Sea Lion Taxonomy:Kingdom - Animalia; Phylum - Chordata; Class - Mammalia; Order - Carnivora; Family - Otariidae; Genus -Eumetopias; Species -jubatus. Background Information: Steller Sea Lions are the largest of all sea lions and are carnivorous. They do not appear to discriminate in their diet and will eat many different species of fish, bivalves, cephalopods, gastropods, and occasionally small seals. They are not at the top of the food chain, however, as killer whales and white sharks prey upon them. While they will travel many miles to find food, Steller Sea Lions are not known to migrate. Males are much larger than females and have a “mane of hair” on their upper body. Like size, survival rates between the sexes also differ as males survive approximately 20 years while females survive 30. Steller Sea Lions reach sexual maturity between 3 and 5 years of age and, while the female may begin breeding upon sexual maturity, the male often does not begin to breed until he is able to hold down his own beach side territory (this occurs at approximately ten years old). Steller Sea Lions populate the North Pacific Ocean rim between Asia and North America, around the coasts to the outer continental shelf.
Image 2. Threats: The Steller Sea Lion population has continued to decline, despite being listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1990 and a cause has not been agreed upon. Many researchers appear to believe that declining population numbers are due to a number of reasons, rather than a single definitive one. One popular theory is that the fishing industry is harming the Steller Sea Lion – not only because they are often by-catch, but also because commercial fishing depletes the amount of food sources the Steller Sea Lion preys upon. Habitat degradation is also believed to be a factor in declining populations as coastal communities are developed and more boats are introduced into the Steller Sea Lion’s habitat (leading to boat strikes). Pollution and water contamination also become a factor as coastal communities grow and as many countries begin to explore offshore oil opportunities. Lastly, there are theories that poaching has also contributed to a decline in Steller Sea Lion populations as fisherman try to limit predation on their fisheries and aquaculture sites.
Video 1. Actions/Solutions: According to NOAA, in 1990 the Steller Sea Lion was listed as threatened throughout its range under the Endangered Species Act. Seven years later the populations were split into Easter and Western populations at a longitude of 144 degrees. Once this occurred the western population was relisted as endangered and the eastern population remained listed as threatened. An initial recovery plan was issued in 1992, with an updated recovery plan (adjusting for the east and west split of the population) issued in 2008. Steller Sea Lions are also protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). According to NOAA, “critical habitat has been designated (50 CFR 226.202 on Aug. 27, 1993) for Steller sea lions as a 20 nautical mile buffer around all major haul-outs and rookeries, as well as associated terrestrial, air, and aquatic zones, and three large offshore foraging areas” and the National Marine Fisheries Service has been hard at work enacting fishery management measures which would “minimize competition” between the fishing industry and Steller Sea Lions in critical habitat. Public campaigns have also been used, with success, to curb the illegal shooting of Steller Seal Lions. For instance, in the 1990’s NOAA ran a “Don’t shoot Seal Lions” campaign and successfully prosecuted two individuals, which raised public awareness and acted as a deterrent for fisherman (pg. 85 of the updated Steller Seal Lion recovery plan found on the NOAA website). Some states, such as Alaska, have devised strict protection measures, such as limits on trawling or no transit areas, in their area of responsibility (can be found here: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/sustainablefisheries/2003hrvstspecssl.htm). CITATIONS:
IMAGE 1: http://seagrant.uaf.edu/marine-ed/mm/images/stellersealion-rev.jpg
IMAGE 2: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/mammals/pinnipeds/stellersealion.htm
VIDEO 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_vUD30VqiY
SOURCES: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/mammals/pinnipeds/stellersealion.htm http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/steller-sea-lion/ http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/pubs/notebook/marine/sealion.php
The blackfoot lionfish, or Parapterois hererura is a small, venomous fish that originated in the Indian Ocean. Parapterois is now widely distributed off the southeastern coast of Africa as well as in Japan and parts of Indonesia. The red lionfish has recently been causing problems in parts of the southeastern United States and the Bahamas, threatening the fishing industry. As of March 2009 lionfish have spread to Cuba, Jamaica, Cayman and as far as Belize. Parapterios have very few predators including varieties of grouper and gray triggerfish. They mainly feed at dawn and dusk on small juvenile bottom feeding fish.
Threats
Lionfish have invaded the waters of the Caribbean and are quickly multiplying along the East Coast, devouring native reef fish as they go. According to some scientists, the lionfish invasion has the potential to be the “most disastrous marine invasion in history.” It seems as though the only publicly accepted solution is to encourage a market for them. Lionfish has been rated highly on taste and texture and many restaurants in the Caribbean and Florida have had success serving them.
Leatherback Sea Turtle
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Sauropsida
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Family: Dermochelyidae Overview: The leather back turtle is the largest of the all sea turtle species. It is the only turtle that does not have a hard shell. Leatherback’s bodies are completely covered in oily skin, making them particularly more defenseless than other turtles. Leatherbacks can grow up to 9 ft long and weigh as much as 1500 lbs. With their metabolic rate functioning at four times that of a regular reptile, they can keep their body temperatures 64 degrees above the temperature of the seawater. The leatherback is also one of the few marine animals to live everywhere in the ocean. Although they are quite rare, they still inhabit the major seas of the planet with the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans having the highest populations. Threats: The first major threat for leatherbacks, and all turtles is their hatching process. Birds and crabs eat many leatherback hatchlings before they reach the sea, where still they face a great danger from much larger prey. Leatherbacks do not have much of a value to humans so they are not harvested for anything, but they are often found dead in nets as by catch from large fishing vessels. Events such as pollution and over fishing are affecting the leatherbacks by polluting their habitats, and killing the turtles. Groups in Kenya have created turtle watching and rescue sites to revive these amazing creatures and bring their populations back to their original numbers.
Description:The Chinese river dolphin, or Yangtze river dolphin, is considered to be one of the most endangered animals on Earth. This freshwater dolphin was once considered to be the goddess of protection by local fisherman and boatmen in China (though it has been described in Chinese folklore dating all the way back to 200 B.C., the Chinese river dolphin was not known to the western world until 1916). A mature Chinese river dolphin is about 8 ft. long and weighs about 500 pounds, and is pale blue to gray on the dorsal (back) side and white on the ventral (belly) side.
Threats:The main threat to the Chinese river dolphin is by-catch in local fisheries, which use rolling hooks, nets, and electro-fishing. At least half of all known dolphin deaths in the 1970s and 1980s were caused by rolling hooks and other fishing gear, while electro-fishing accounted for 40% of dolphin deaths recorded during the 1990s. Other threats to the Chinese river dolphin include river development projects, pollution, vessel collision, and prey depletion. Furthermore, the increasing rate of the construction of dams in China has resulted in blockages between the river and the lakes, interrupting the movements of the dolphin upstream of the dams and eliminating their access to tributaries and lakes. The dams also lead to notable declines in fish populations, harming the dolphin's prey source.
Conservation Efforts: Since 1986 there have been five natural reserves established along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River set up for the protection of the Chinese river dolphin. These reserves, while a step in the right direction, have failed to prevent the incidental death of the species, which is an unfortunately frequent occurrence. In addition to these reserves, two semi-natural reserves have been established for the purpose of housing Chinese River dolphins under human management. In response to the dramatic decline of the dolphin between 1985 and 1987, the Chinese Government issued the "Circular for the Protection of Precious and Rare Wildlife" and the "Urgent Circular Banning Hunt, Trade, and Smuggling of Precious and Rare Animals," making the protection of the species a law. On the subject of current management strategies appropriate for the protection of the Chinese river dolphin, "WWF scientists say that the keys to the survival of [the] species lie[s] in conserving oxbow lakes in the Yangtze, creating a network of nature reserves along the river, and changing the management of the river to a more holistic ecosystem-based management system that would maximize benefits for both people and nature."
Atlantic Salmon, On the Road to Recovery - by Michael Schindler
The Atlantic salmon was over fished to the point where there was a ban on commercial fishing which is still in effect today.
Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Salmoniformes
Family: Salmonidae
Genus: Salmo Description:Atlantic salmon generally live in the open waters around the coasts of North America and Greenland. Although when they are still juvenile they live in freshwater rivers and streams. These tend to be shallow water with a medium to fast currents. During this juvenile period they eat insects, krill, little fishes, invertebrates. Once they grow larger they change their diet to Atlantic herring, alewife, rainbow smelt, flatfish, and small Atlantic mackerel. They can live from 4 to 10 years.
Common Skate or Blue Skates- By Scott Jackson Dipturus Batis also known as common skates or by their other common name Blue skates are vertebrates that are part of the chondrichthyes class. These skates are the largest out of any European skates in the world reaching lengths of over 2.5 meters and weighing over 220 pounds. Common skates are characterized by their dark undersurface and lighter top surface with a row of thorns along the tale and having an overall rhombic shape. It is normally located in the Northeastern Atlantic Ocean along the bottom of the continental shelf. The species feeds on many species of bottom dwelling species but often ventures closer to the surface to eat fish such as Herring. This species has a particularly slow reproduction process as adults mature at the age of ten and females can only lay 40 eggs every three years.
Commons skates have been a favorite among fisheries to catch due to their large size making it very easy to make a profit off of fishing these creatures, which has led to a large amount of overfishing of the species decimating its population making it listed as critically endangered in the wild. It is also the commons skates large size that hurts its population in other fisheries as well. Commons skates are often caught as by catch in other fisheries that use bottom-trawling techniques as the skates live on the ocean floors. Also besides adults being caught the smaller and more juvenile of the species are also large enough to be caught on lines and gillnets. Furthermore, these skates are popular among recreational fisherman too to try and catch and while for the most part is catch and release the animals can be injured from being dragged out of the water or by the hooks used to catch them.
However, in recent years there has been action put forth into protecting these species and trying to support the population so that the population numbers can come back up from their dwindling amount. For example Common skate were put on the IUCN Red List in 2000 as well as being placed on the global critically endangered species list in 2006. Also the United Kingdom made the Common skate a Biodiversity Action Plan Species meaning that work is being done to help support populations of the skates and reduce the amount of fishing in areas where skates are commonly. And finally the EU created a law created a total allowable catch law for the skates. Other countries as well have limited the amount of this species that is being caught although it is difficult to exclude this species from the by catch of other fisheries due to the skates large size. Citations: http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/39397/0 http://marinebio.org/Oceans/red-list-species.asp http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_skate http://www.arkive.org/common-skate/dipturus-batis/info.html http://www.anglersafloat.co.uk/_assets/Paul_Skate_5.jpg http://www.underseacameras.com/Portals/0/Welsh%20Fish%20Book/MW000394.jpg http://web.ukonline.co.uk/aquarium/pages/commonskate.html
Dugongs Listed as "Vulnerable to Extinction" Internationally by: Monica Mezger
Description: Dugongs,more commonly known as Sea Cows, range in lengths between 2.4m to 4m. They are born in a pale cream color that darkens with age to a deep slate grey. Short hair is sparsley distrubuted over the body, with bristles on the muzzle, while the skin is thick, tough, and smooth. For both females and males sexual maturity is attained as early as 6 years by may be delayed until 17 years. Due to thier large size, dugongs have very few natural predators (other than sharks) and have been known to live for more than 70 years in the wild.
Habitat: Dugongs are found discontinuously in the costal waters of East Africa, from the Red Sea to northernmost South Africa, northeastern India; along the Malay Peninsula; around the northern coast of Australia to New Guinea; and many of the island groups of the South Pacific. Although this may seem vast, the dugong's range was much greater in the past. These waters that the Dugong inhabits are shallow and tropical marine coastal water, mainly confined to sea grass beds. These sea grass beds tend to occur in calm and shallow coastal areas, such as embayment and lagoons. Dugongs although resemble manatees, are more strictly marine seldom entering rivers.
Diet: Dugongs feed on the sea grass of the families Potamogetonaceae and Hydrocharitaceae. They have also been known to occasionally eat algae as well as crabs.
Threats/Reasons for Fishing of Dugongs: They are hunted for meat, oil, hides for leather, and for their bones and teeth; which are made into ivory artifcts and charcoal for sugar refining. Some Asian cultures prize the Dugong for "medicinal purposes." Although commercial hunting is now banned, dugong products from indirect takes are highly valued. Traditional hunting of the species by indigenous peoples of Australia and the western islands of the Torres Strait still continues. Dugongs have been heavily exploited in the Philippines to where they are on the verge of extinction. The species' large size and slow swimming speed makes them easy targets for hunters. One major threat to the Dugongs is drift gillnets because these nets are abandoned and once the Dugong is caught in the net they suffocate to death (due to their lack in ability to hold their breath for a long time). Other threats include: increased boating traffic which leads to not only a disturbance in their typically calm habitat, but potential for boat strikes; and destruction of sea grasses due to dredging, land filling, land reclamation, costal clearing and pollution from sewage and other effluents.
Current Conservation/Management:
The dugong is now listed as "Vulnerable" with the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Dugongs are protected under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999, which lists dugongs as marine and migratory species.
In 2003, in Australia, marine debris was listed as a Key Threatening Process under the EPBC Act. As a result of this, a Threat Abatement Plan is being developed that will build on existing activities to reduce the impact of marine debris on threatened marine species.
Dugongs are internationally listed on Appendix I of the Conservation of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITIES) and on Appendix II of the Convention on Migratory Species (the CMS).
They are also protected under the UAE Federal Law which aims to fully protect the dugongs and other marine life from any commercial and recreational utilization of species within UAE waters.
Great White Shark By: Anthony Mieske Taxonomy: Kingdom-Animilia
Phylum-Chordata
Class-Chondrichthyes
Order-Elasmobranchii
Family-Selachii
Genus-Carcharodon
Species-Carcharias Overview: Great White Sharks are found in temperate waters in the world’s oceans. It is an important and not a common predator on the coast of California. Sharks have been around for over 350 million years. Sharks lack real bones and instead cartilage forms a bone like substance for the shark. Size: The largest Great White recorded was 21 feet long. A 23 foot Great White was claimed to be caught in the Mediterranean, but no one has been able to prove the claim. Scientists have found a massive jaw bone of a Great White that they assume was 50 feet long. Many believe since these sharks are so smart and elusive that there are bigger ones in the ocean and we just haven’t found them yet. Habitat: Waters off of Central California are a great habitat for these sharks. The Farallon Island wildlife refuge is a main feeding spot for sharks. In the summer the sharks feed off of sea lions on the coast of Oregon or in the Gulf of Alaska. Food: Sharks start their early eating habitats contain feeding on fish, rays, and other sharks. After they grow and mature they begin to feeding on large marine mammals and other large carcasses. Their first marine mammal they feed on is a harbor seal, but after growing they begin to feed on large sea lions and elephant seals. Threats: Some threats include over fishing, finning, and methods of commercial fisherman. Tens of millions of sharks are being caught every year. Also Great Whites grow very slowly and don’t produce as many offspring as other species can in the amount of time they are alive. This causes the over exploitation to impact numbers so bad because they can’t produce as fast as they are being exploited.
Fin whales are one of the largest animals on Earth, reaching sizes of up to 27 meters long. They have been extensively hunted for their oil and baleen. Currently, they are endangered and are still hunted by Finland and Japan despite being protected by international law.
Habitats:
Fin whales live in the North Atlantic, North Pacific and Antarctic oceans. They are a migratory species, although their migratory patterns are poorly understood.
Diets:
Fin whales, like other baleen whales, eat krill and small organisms. They do not have teeth, instead they have fibrous keratin plates that act as a sieve. To eat, the animal takes a large mouthful of seawater and uses its tongue to push out the fluid between the baleen plates. They swallow the krill and whatever else is left behind.
Threats:
Hunting and harvesting for their baleen and blubber for oil is their major threat, and has been very detrimental to their population. They have been hunted for a long time, and some southern populations are estimated to be less than 1% of their numbers in the early 1900s. Even though they are protected by law, special permits for natives in Greenland allow some subsistence hunting. Iceland and Japan also harvest a few fin whales each year.
Although not intentional, collisions with boats are also a threat to these whales, with a few deaths being reported due to boats. This is considered a major concern over the continental shelf.
Another danger to baleen whales is global climate change. These animals depend heavily on krill and small marine animals, whose populations can dramatically shift with changing water conditions such as temperature and salinity.
Conservation Acts:
Fin whales are protected under the international whaling commission laws. Their hunting is prohibited with some exceptions, such as aboriginal subsistence hunting by Greenland. Recent legal action in 2007 by The Humane Society of the United States and Ocean Conservancy has led to planned revisions of the laws and protections added, regarding commercial fishing nets and danger to the whales as by-catch or other damages by equipment.
Gulf of Mane Atlantic Salmon are Endangered by Alexander Sherer Taxonomy:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Osteichthyes
Family: Salmonidae
Genus: Salmo
Species: Salar Overview:
These salmon have a very intricate life history that consists of spawning, juvenile rearing in rivers, as well as extensive feeding migrations in the sea. Due to this system they have a couple distinct phases that can be seen in specific changes behavior, physiology, and habitat requirements. Size:
Atlantic Sea Salmon have an average size of 28 to 30 inches and can weigh from 8 to 12 pounds after spending two years in the sea. In rare cases, sometimes the adults can weigh up to 30 pounds. Habitat:
Atlantic Sea Salmon are an anadromous fish, which means that they spend about 3 years in fresh water. Then they migrate to the sea where they spend roughly another 3 years. After that, they go back to the river to spawn. The perfect spawning habitat consists of gravel/rubble in placed with running water. The eggs usually hatch around March or April. Diets:
Juvenile salmon tend to eat invertebrates, but as they grow older and mature they can consume small fishes. They can eat caddisflies, blackflies, mayflies, and stoneflies. In adulthood they can eat arctic squid, sand eels, arctic shrimp, amphipods, and even herring sometimes. Threats:
The water can become acified which can lower the survival rate for juvenile fish. Avian predation (birds eating them). Changing land use practices, climate change, degradation of water quality, hatchery programs, and incidental capture, competitive species, loss of habitat complexity and connectivity, poaching of adults, sedimentation and water extraction. Conservation Acts:
The Federal Recovery Plan and The Mane Conservation Plan were made in order to reduce potential impacts to Atlantic Sea Salmon from recreational fishing, agriculture, aquaculture, and forestry. In June of 2009 the USFWS made a final rule to list the expanded Gulf of Mane DPS. Citations: http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2009/webb_laur/images/brightsalmon.jpg http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/fish/atlanticsalmon.htm#more http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_salmon#Diethttp://naturescrusaders.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/spawning-atlantic-salmon-738342-ga.jpghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKo520kgRUU
Endangered Hawaiian Monk Seals Fighting for Survival, By Bill Nguyen
The Hawaiian Monk Seals are also known as "Ilio-holo-i-ka-uaua" by native Hawaiians which means "dog that runs in rough waters". The Monk Seals as pups have a black coat and are covered with short fuzzy hair, as the Monk Seals grow into adults their once black coats weather into a gray-silver coat. The life expectancy of the Monk Seals averages from about 25 to 30 years. Unlike other species of seals which often collect in large colonies, Monk Seals are known for being solitary.
Size:
Males can grow to lengths of nearly 7 feet and weigh as much as 300-400 lbs.
Females tend to be larger, growing to lengths of nearly 8 feet and weigh as much as 400-600 lbs.
Habitats:
The Hawaiian Monk Seal or course can be found in Hawaii, they tend reside near the northwestern islands because they are the most remote. They spend much of their time on damp sand basking in the sun to keep cool and also to conserve energy between hunts.
Diets:
The Monk Seal's diet consist of a variety of foods, such as crustaceans, fish, lobsters, eels, and octopuses. All in which can be found near shallow reefs, in which they use as their hunting grounds.
Threats:
In the 1800's, commercial sealing was thought to have drove Hawaiian Monk Seal populations into extinction. Whalers in the past had hunted the Monk Seals for meat, oil, and precious coats they provided. Since reappearing the Monk Seals are still fighting for survival as they try to evade their natural predators of Tiger Sharks. The Monk Seal populations are also dwindling from human disturbances such as overfishing of lobster (a food source), pollution, and the disturbance of female pregnant Monk Seals. The Monk Seals current population size is estimated to be close to 1000 in the wild and without assistance could finally enter extinction.
Conservation Acts:
Once reappearing after being thought to be extinct, the Hawaiian Monk Seal was immediately placed on the Endangered Species List, and therefore are protected under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Thus, making it illegal to harass, kill, or capture the Hawaiian Monk Seal. To further raise awareness for the species plight, on June 11, 2008 the Hawaiian Monk Seal was declared the state's official State Mammal by Lieutenant Governor James Aiona. Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument located near the northwestern Hawaiian Islands, encompasses 140,000 square miles and was created on June 15, 2006 by George W. Bush in the hope to help endangered species populations of sea turtles and the Monk Seal grow by protecting against human disturbances. They are hoping the sanctuary will also help by allowing populations of lobster to grow back, thus allowing Monk Seal an alternative food source other than fish. Other efforts in August 2007 have been made to help the Monk Seal recover. Calling it the Hawaiian Monk Seal Recovery Plan, through volunteer groups they intend to reduce human interaction on Main Hawaiian Island beaches and with recreational fishers. They also intend to facilitate and monitor the Monk Seal pupping events to ensure that nothing disturbs the event. Citations: http://www.fpir.noaa.gov/PRD/prd_hawaiian_monk_seal.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaiian_Monk_Seal http://www.earthsendangered.com/profile.asp?mp=1&ID=7&sp=828 http://thenationalevil.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/monk-seal.jpg
The black abalone can withstand extreme variation in environmental conditions such as temperature, salinity, moisture, and wave action. The resistance to these conditions allows for black abalone to range from about Point Arena in northern California to Bahia Tortugas and Isla Guadalupe, Mexico. Black abalone are rare north of San Francisco and south of Punta Eugenia. Within these areas, black abalone can be found in rocky intertidal and subtidal habitats. They tend to occur in areas of moderate to high surf. When immersed, and during night-time, however, this species has been observed using its muscular foot to move freely over rock surfaces. During low tides, black abalone conceal themselves by wedging into crevices, cracks, and holes in rocks of near shore areas.
Black abalone are herbivores that feeding primarily on drift algae and several different species of kelp. It has a smooth shell that is black or slate blue on the outside and pearly white on the inside. The mantle and foot are black as well. Five to nine open flush pores (respiratory pores) can be found on the left side of the shell and spiral growth lines are evident on the posterior. It has tentacles that surround the foot and extend out of the shell which sense food and predators.
Species Reproduction:
Black abalone exhibit external fertilization, which is similar to many corals. Separate sexes broadcast spawn their eggs and sperm into the water, primarily during the summer months. After fertilization, the eggs develop into free swimming larva and eventually “settle.” Maturity is reached at about 1.5 inches (4 cm) length or 3 years. Adults attain a maximum shell length of approximately 8 inches (20 cm), but are typically 4 to 6 inches (10-14 cm) long and can live from 20 to 30 years.
Threats and Contributing Factors to Population Declines:
One reason there have been declines in black abalone populations can be attributed to overfishing. Although black abalone have been a major sought after marine resource in commercial and recreational fishing in California since the mid-1800s, significant population declines were not observed until the late 1970s. Approximately 868 metric tons of black abalone were being harvested in 1973, which fell to basically zero in the mid 1990s.
Disease is another contributing factor to black abalone declines. Withering syndrome is a disease that struck black abalone populations in the northern Channel Islands in 1985. The disease is caused by a Rickettsia-like prokaryote. This disease attacks the lining of the digestive track and obstructs the production of digestive enzymes. Abalone with withering syndrome are unable to properly digest their food and appear to use the protein in the foot muscle as an energy source. The disease appears to have had the largest effect and be most prevalent in the southern portion of black abalone range (South of Point Conception, California). Areas that have warmer water temperatures have been impacted the most by disease. -comparison of a diseased abalone(left) to a healthy one(right)
Other factors responsible for the decline of black abalone are illegal harvest, jewelry production, habitat destruction, coastal development, climate change, rising sea levels, thermal discharge of power plants, ocean acidification, natural predation, and competition for space with purple (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) and red (S. franciscanus) sea urchins.
Conservation Efforts:
Significant conservation efforts have been made in the United States and Mexico. In California, all abalone fisheries are managed by the California Department of Fish and Game. The department restricts the size of abalones caught, and the season in which harvesting can take place. The state of California has also implemented marine protected areas and commercial and recreational fishery closures. Furthermore, California adopted an Abalone Recovery Management Plan in 2005. Other projects monitor the species status, enhance reproduction, decrease illegal harvest, and investigation of withering disease. In Mexico, there is a total allowable catch limit for black abalones. In an attempt to develop a restocking program, an American-Mexican fishery authority alliance has been proposed.
On June 23, 1999, the black abalone was added to NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) Candidate Species list. NMFS initiated an informal ESA (Endangered Species Act) status review of black abalone on July 15, 2003, and formally announced initiation of a status review on October 17, 2006. On December 21, 2006, the Center for Biological Diversity formally petitioned NMFS to list the black abalone as threatened or endangered under the ESA. Soon after the petition, the NMFS listed black abalone as endangered under the ESA on January 14, 2009. The species still does not have a protected habitat however, and on March 23, 2010, the Center for Biological Diversity sued the Obama administration for “failing to designate critical habitat for the endangered black abalone.”
Recommended Protective Actions:
· Support on-going efforts by state and federal management agencies to manage and restore the black abalone throughout its range · Minimize or eliminate sources of thermal pollution near black abalone populations · Raise public awareness · Prevent illegal harvest of black abalone from rocky intertidal habitats · Reduce damage to suitable abalone habitat from coastal development or pollution. · Reduce loss of abalone food resources
The Beluga Whale- One of the Many Endangered Species- By: Lauren Bailey Taxonomy: Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Cetacea
Family: Monodontidae
Genus: Delphinapterus
Species: leucas Overview: The Beluga whale, also known as the white whale, is a small toothed whale that is white as an adult. Their bodies are stout and have small, blunt heads with a small beak, tiny eyes, thick layers of blubber, and a rounded melon. The name beluga means “white one” in Russian, their genus, Delphinapterus, means “whale without fins”, and then the species, leucas, means white. Beluga whales can live upwards from 25-30 years. And their natural predators are killer whales and Polar bears. Size: Adult beluga whates can grow to about 15 feet (4.6 m) long on average, and weighing up to about 2,200 pounds (1500kg). Males tend to be larger then the females. Diet and Teeth: Belugas are toothed whales with 34 teeth. Their teeth are not designed for chewing, but for grabbing and tearing prey (swallowing whole). They have a varied diet that consists of fish, squid, various crustaceans, octopi, and worms. Beluga whales are characterized as both benthic( bottom) and pelagic (oceanic) feeders. Social Groups: Beluga whales are known to be very social animals and congregate in pods, also known as social groups, of 2-25 whales. Relations between mothers and their calves are very strong. Pods will hunt and migrate together, and sometimes during migrations, several pods may join together, forming groups of 200-10,00 belugas. Habitat: Beluga whales inhabit the Arctic and Subarctic regions of Russian, Greenland, and North America. They inhabit the Arctic Ocean and its adjoining seas, including the Sea of Okhotsk, the Bering Sea, the Gulf of Alaska, the Beaufort Sea, Baffin Bay, Hudson Bay, and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Major Threats: Beluga whales have been hunted for centuries by ingenious Arctic peoples for their meat, rich blubber, and their skin which can be used as a type of leather once dried. Over the years, commercial hunting of belugas by Europeans and Americans caused a massive drop in the population to the point where they have been wiped out in some regions. Also industrial run-off has caused high levels of toxic chemicals and heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and cadmium into the water. Another major threats of the belugas is diseases such as tumors, heart disease, urogenital disorders, and respiratory disorders due to the toxic contaminations in their habitats. For some reason, these pollutants affect belugas more than other species of cetacean (probably due to diet variation), getting into their bloodstream and body tissue, and passing from mother to calf during gestation, often with the calf carrying more pollutant than either of its parents. Deformed calves have been recorded—some bent in an 'U' shape and unable to swim due to a poorly-developed spine. It is disturbing that, due to the high concentrations of contamination, belugas in the Gulf of St. Lawrence population are treated as toxic waste when they die. Other reasons include: Oil exploration, dredging, hydroelectric plants, and shipping accidents.
Conservation Efforts:
Since the Beluga whales have been put on the endangered list, they are being protected by many conservation groups around the world. Groups such as NMPS, MMPA, and the Alaskan government have set harvest limits and other requirements to ensure conservation of the species.
Clean ups of the water are also being attempted, but so far have not proven successful. Population numbers are still declining and they are becoming more endangered.
Great Taste, But Greatly Endangered- Chilean Sea Bass
By: Peter Kulbaba
Chilean Sea Bass is part of the phylum Chordata. Chilean Sea Bass is actually a trade name used to make the fish more appealing. The true name of the fish is Patagonia Toothfish (sometimes called Patagonsky klykach). It used to be unpopular to eat, but in the 90's it was sought after greatly for its meat. The fish's flesh is very rich in oils, making for a tasty dinner that never quite seems to overcook. The fish resides in Antarctic waters and the United States is the largest importer of Chilean Sea Bass (it imports close to half of the legal catch). The typical weight for this toothfish is about twenty pounds. There is some information that suggests this species is normally high in mercury. They feed on squid, smaller fish, and prawns. Their main predators are sperm whales, elephant seals, and colossal squid.
The Chilean Sea Bass harvest is dominated by illegal fishing. The species is not endangered, but the illegal nature of the harvest makes it difficult to keep under control. The harvest from illegal fishing is about twice that of the legal harvest each year. Some actions have been taken to eliminate pirate fishing including patrols keeping an eye on the waters, but those who illegally fish have just moved to more distant areas to continue the trade. The illicit fishing is influenced largely by the high prices that the fish is sold at (more than ten dollars a pound). Argentina, France, and Chile are three of the countries that regularly fish for the toothfish. If legal limits could be enforced more efficiently there wouldn't be a problem, but the doubled illegal harvests make this fish approaching endangerment. The huge demand for the fish by consumers also encourage the beyond necessary loads caught.
To combat the problem, consumers are strongly encouraged to ask about the legality of the fish catch to place an emphasis on how consumers are consider illegal fishing unacceptable. Restaurants also practice only buying the fish if proper documentation is shown, indicating the fair nature of the catch. The National Environmental Trust has enacted a campaign to get restaurants to stop serving Chilean Sea Bass under the slogan "Take a pass on Chilean Sea Bass." Many restaurants have united to stop serving this menu item until populations recover. There is also a wine being produced called Chilean Sea Bass Chardonnay. The wine company donates a portion of its proceeds to enforcement of legal fishing and management of the fish so that the population may increase and the fish can be served again. Fanatics of the fish can unite under this cause to support the species while indulging themselves.
Deadliest Catch - The Real Deal for Alaskan King Crabs
Alaskan King Crabs (AKC) attained world popularity through the television series "Deadliest Catch". They are native to the Alaskan waters where they are fished heavily during the winter season between the months of October through January, and where storms frequent the area day in and day out. For the Alaskan King Crab, overfishing has literally lead to a deadly catch for the species.
Alaskan King Crab meat is known to be a delicacy which in the past has been bought and sold for a high price. At the peak of the crabbing industry in 1980, AKC fishermen brought in nearly 200 million pounds of crab. However, just 3 short years later the population had dropped by 60%. This sudden decrease in AKC’s was attributed to warming water temperatures, increased fish predation, and especially overfishing. After 2005 strict regulations became enforced such as the Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) system vs. derby fishing and the use of marine preserves in order to revive the population and ensure future fisheries. The fleet of AKC boats went from 250 to just 89 due to the IFQ system, resulting in quite a few crew without boats. Foreign crabbers hailing from Russia have negated some of these rules by catching AKC’s and exporting them on the black market, thus leading to a continued drop in market price. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaskan_king_crab_fishing
NOAA has instituted a program called the Fishing Capacity Reduction Program which gives the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) the ability to close areas or suspend fishing practices if the crab population levels are endangered. The NMFS may buy back vessels or fishing license in order to ensure compliment with the rules. http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/mb/financial_services/buyback.htm
There have also been numerous rebuilding plans that have been put into effect for AKC’s where certain areas are zoned as off limits for bottom trawling in order that the biomass of AKC’s would increase. These plans can be found on NOAA’s website and by following this link - http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/sustainablefisheries/crab/.
- Candace Gray
Horseshoe crabs are being over-harvested to be used as bait by Erin Oswald
Horseshoe crabs have been roaming the Earth for over 540 million years. They are truly "living fossils." Horseshoe crabs are not technically crabs but arthropods, closely related to arachnids. There are four species of horseshoe crabs but only Limulus polyphemus (the Atlantic horseshoe crab) will be discussed. They are most commonly found along the Gulf Coast and the Northern Atlantic coast of North America. Many gather along the Delaware Bay shores in early summer to spawn.
Horseshoe crabs spawning, June 2008, Bowers Beach, DE
Harvesting and habitat destruction have caused a decline in horseshoe crab population over the past twenty years. It wasn't until the sharp decline of another species caused people to start to take notice of the horseshoe crab's plight. The red knot bird is a migratory bird that travels from the most southern tip of South American to the Arctic tundra every year in order to breed. It makes a stop on the shores of the Delaware Bay to fill up on horseshoe crab eggs to sustain itself for the rest of its trip. Birders noticed a sharp drop in their decline and soon it was discovered that it correlated directly with a drop in the horseshoe crab's population. Horseshoe crabs were being over-harvested for their use as bait for conch and eel. Not only do birds rely on horseshoe crab eggs for nourishment, but humans rely on them as well for pharmaceutical purposes. The horseshoe crab's blue blood is used as a bacterial testing agent for many drugs. It clots on contact with bacterial endotoxins. (The process by which the blood is collected is fairly noninvasive and most horseshoe crabs live and are returned to their homes afterwards.)
Horseshoe crabs being collected for bait use.
Many steps have been taken to ensure the livelihood of Limulus polyphemus in recent years. The Ecological Research and Development Group (ERDG) was formed in order to preserve the horseshoe crabs. Their founder, Gary Gauvry invented a mesh bait bag that allowed fishermen to cut down on their use of bait by 50%. The ERDG also created a campaign called "Just Flip 'Em" in order to get beach-goers to flip over horseshoes crabs that get stuck on their back. Each year about 10% of the spawning population die from being stranded on their backs. Recently, horseshoe crabs harvesting was banned in New Jersey on March 25, 2008. This came came into law heavily based on the extreme drop in population of the Red Knots. It was determined that without extreme measures these birds were in serious danger.
A great PBS special showing the unique, awesome relationship between horseshoe crabs and Red Knot birds! **A Tale of Two Species**
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, By Anthony VanWoerkom
This is one of the most prized fish, and is endangered due to overfishing.
Native to both the western and eastern Atlantic Ocean, as well as the Mediterranean Sea.
They are highly prized for sashimi (Japanese dish), which is the main cause of overfishing. In 2009 the Bluefin stocks in the Eastern Atlantic were down by 72% and 82% in the Western Atlantic. Fisherman use purse seine, assorted hook-and-line, and most important long lining. They are popular in U.S., Canada, Spain, France, and Italy. This is a $7.2 Billion industry. They are slow to mature and too many young are caught before they are able to reproduce.
The Endangered Species Act Protection is going to have the western North Atlantic Bluefin stock designated as a threatened species and protected. There is also the Atlantic Bluefin Project. The Tuna that are caught get tagged and released for further research of their behaviors so we can possibly save them in the future.
The Obama Administration announced on March 4, 2010 that it would support a proposed ban on international trade of the Atlantic bluefin tuna at the upcoming meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in Doha, Qatar. Hopefully this will slow some of the demand for this prized fish.
Hector's Dolphin
Bycatch of Hector's dolphin has led it to the endangered species list by Tricia Phelps
Cephalorhynchus hectori, One of the world's smallest dolphins
The Hector's dolphin is found only on the south island of New Zealand. There is a subspecies called Maui's dolphin that resides by the northern island. Their habitat consists of coastal waters within 5 nautical miles of shore. They can grow up to 50 kilograms in weight and 1.4 meters in length. A unique feature of the Hector's dolphin is it's rounded black dorsal fin. The dolphin's diet consists of catching squid and fish in a group.
Fishing Nets
The main reason this small population of dolphins is being depleted is because of by-catch in fishing nets. Hector's dolphins have declined from 26,000 in the 1970s to 7,000 presently. Set nets are used by commercial fishermen and also for recreational fishing. The figure on the left shows that 70% of all Hector's dolphin's deaths have been attributed to set nets. Some of them also get caught in trawling nets. Other threats are pollution including PCB's and has led to decline in their reproduction rate. Habitat loss for shipping centers and boat disturbance has also led to the dolphins decline. C
What is being done to save them?
In order to halt dolphin deaths, a nationwide ban on nets would almost eliminate the problem. There has already been protection by closing some of the dolphin's range to fishing and by setting an allowable fishing related mortality on the east coast of southern New Zealand. The World Wildlife Fund advocates of New Zealand increased the Hector's dolphin's protection and conservation through the government already. The WWF also supports a community and school awareness program for their protection. The New England Aquarium has also been doing research about Hector's dolphin's behavior and how they interact with their environment or fishing gear. They also do population assessments. The New England Aquarium has also developed dolphin alarms from being entangled in fishing nets.
Loggerhead sea turtles are vertebrates of the class reptilia. They get their name from their relatively large head, which contains a powerful
jaw which allows them to feed on hard-shelled prey, such as conch. Loggerheads have a heart shaped top shell that is reddish-brown the
underside is yellow or bottom shell is yellow their flippers and neck also resemble this pattern. Loggerheads live in three different habitats through out there lives on land in the ocean and near shore. These sea turtles are circumglobal, they can be found in the
tropical and temperate regions of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans, and of all the sea turtles in the US the Loggerhead is the
most abundant.
Though they face threats in both the water and in nesting areas the major threat to the Loggerheads is incidental catch or bycatch, these turtles are captured in many types of fishing gear. Fishing gear primarily in long lines and gillnets, other gear that have caused a decline in Loggerhead populations include trawls, traps, pots, and dredges. Though hunting of sea turtles is out lawed in most places it still occurs such as in the Bahamas, Cuba, and Mexico, this is a serious and continuing problem and is slowing the recovery of the Loggerhead.
The good news Loggerhead sea turtles are protected under the ESA or Endangered Species Act throughout its range. The issue with this sea turtle is because it is highly migratory it is difficult to manage, conservation efforts in one country could be ruined by another. None the less Loggerheads are protected by many international treaties and agreements just to name a few CITES which prohibits the trade of this species and the IAC which is the only binding international treaty exclusively for marine turtles and promotes the protection, conservation, and recovery of sea turtles and their habitats. Shrimp trawlers are also required by law to include TED's which are turtle excluder devices, the US will also not import shrimp that was harvested in a way that could be harmful to sea turtles. Pictured below is a turtle escaping a trawling net equipped with a TED. http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/turtles/loggerhead.htm
Dolphins are being destroyed by huge numbers in Japan, by Somers Smott
Dolphins are a part of the class Mammalia and order Cetacea, meaning whales and dolphins. In Japan, some of the main dolphins that are hunted include striped dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, pantropical spotted dolphins and Risso’s dolphins. For the sake of this report, the focus will be bottlenose dolphins. Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) inhabit almost every ocean except polar waters. They weigh up to 150-200 kilograms, and grow in length to up to 175-400 centimeters, with males being the largest. Females mature in age around 5-12 years, and males mature in age around 9-13 years.
In Taiji, Japan, entire schools of dolphins are chased and driven into a hidden cove. Once trapped inside the cove, the fishermen kill the dolphins, slashing their throats with knives or stabbing them with spears. This large scale dolphin kill, the largest in the world, happens for six months out of every year. Besides killing these creatures, the fishermen capture a select few and ship them out to organizations for dolphin shows. Besides being unfathomable and immoral, this is a huge problem because the Japanese people admit they kill for “pest control”. Even though no excuse would ever back up these murders, “pest control” is one that could definitely not pass as legitimate. The meat collected inhumanely from these dolphins is also proven to have high amounts of mercury in it, and the government in Japan still serves the meat to school lunchrooms all over their country. Most of the locals do not know about these killings, and they definitely have no idea their children are eating polluted meat.
The Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 states that dolphins can only be captured with a special permit, but these hunters have avoided this by getting a permit from their government. The Save Japan Dolphins campaign already has a few programs getting worked out in order to end this slaughter. If the fishermen decide to stop killing, the campaign will help with money in the transition period between moving from dolphins to abundant fish or crabs. With the promise of the end of the slaughter, Taiji, with its beautiful sights, can become an area of eco-tourism, which the campaign will internationally support and promote. The campaign also has offered to help the fishermen learn how to fish sustainably, so their industries do not diminish as quickly.
Taxonomy: (common sea gull)
Kingdom - Animalia
Phylum - Chordata
Class - Aves
Order - Charadriiformes
Suborder - Lari
Family - Laridae
Overview
Sea birds have been an important presence to humans in marine environments. They have provided food, and direction to land, and fishing stocks, for sailors over history. Sea birds do not actually live in the water, but are adapted to living in marine environments. Most sea birds have webbed feet to help them when swimming or diving in the water, as well as a large number of salt glands to take care of the salt they ingest when they drink and eat. Sea birds tend to live longer, and invest more time in their young than other birds but breed later and have less young that most birds as well. They can live in colonies which can be anywhere from dozens to millions.
Threats
Sea birds have been hunted, and their eggs collected, for hundreds of years and has led to the decline and extinction of some species. Introduced species, such as feral cats, are also a threat to sea birds because of the fact that many sea birds have lost predator defense mechanisms due to the lack of predators. Toxins and pollutants are also dangerous. Until DDT was banned, it was very harmful to sea birds, as well as oil spills. Long line fishing techniques have also been very harmful to sea birds. Sea birds swoop in for fish that are long line fishing vessels and can be caught in the line as well, resulting in fatality by drowning. Birds are also in danger of eating fish heads, that still contain fishing hooks, which choke the birds.
Managment
As early as 1903, President Teddy Roosevelt started movements to protect sea birds by creating certain wildlife refuges to protect sea bird colonies. Island restoration techniques are also being used to get rid of pollutants and introduced species, and both have created a rise in the population of sea bird species near extinction, and a return of some already extinct species. New long line fishing requirements are also being created for the protection of sea birds. These new techniques include setting the lines at night, dying the bait blue, and setting the bait underwater has greatly reduced the amount of seabird mortalities by long line fishing.
The bowhead whale resides only at high latitudes and migrate seasonally between the arctic and subartic waters. They have a bow-shaped head that can make be up to 40% of its body and allows them to break ice to get oxygen. The bowheads' blubber can get up to 2 feet thick (thicker than any other whale) keeping them warm in such frigid water. These whales also have the largest baleen plates of any whale which allow them to filter mass amounts food such as zooplankton and krill. Bowheads generally travel alone or in small pods through the shallow arctic waters and have excellent sight as well as hearing.
Major Threats
The greatest threat to the bowhead whale once was commercial exploitation but currently is subsistence hunting, entanglement in fishing lines, contaminants in the waters, and noises made by humans such as offshore drilling sites. Around 1840 commercial exploitation was booming targeting the bowhead whales because off their massive size and their inability to move quickly. The whales were used for oil, baleen (used in corsets, skirt hoops, watch springs and for fishing rods), food, and for their blubber. The population dropped from 30,000-50,000 to around 3,000 in the 1920s. Around 1859, because the price for oil from whales decreased significantly, bowheads were killed, the baleen was taken and then the rest of the whale was simply discarded.
Management
The bowhead whales have been under various protective laws since the 1931 League of Nations Convention. Under the Endangered Species Conservation Act (ESCA) of 1969, commercial whaling was ended in the United States. On a global scale, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) continued the prohibition of commercial whaling among the signatory countries of the League of Nations Convention in 1964. The IWC completely banned the subsistence hunting of the bowhead whale in 1977 in an attempt to promote an increase in the population but soon after the United States requested that rather than completely banning subsistence hunting quotas be put in place. Currently, the bowhead whale is endangered and only one out of five of its populations is not threatened but its stocks are being monitored and calf-rearing habitats are being identified in an effort to keep the population (between 7,000 and 10,000 presently) growing.
Protecting the Beluga Whale and Revitalizing Populations
by: Danny Kulas
Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Cetacea Family: Monodontidae Genus: Delphinapterus Species: leucas Species Description
Unlike other cetaceans, belugas can move their head up, down, and side to side, because their cervical vertebrae are not fused. This feature appears to be an adaptation to maneuvering and catching prey in muddy or ice-covered areas.
Beluga whales are covered with a thick layer of blubber that accounts for as much as 40 percent of their body mass. This fat provides thermal protection and stores energy. Belugas are unique among cetaceans in that they shed their outer layer of skin, or molt, each summer around July. They concentrate in shallow water where there is coarse gravel to rub against. The rubbing action helps remove the top layer of old yellow skin and reveal the new skin underneath.
Beluga whales mate in the spring, usually in March or April, in small bays and estuaries. Beluga calves nurse for at least 12 to 18 months, until their teeth emerge, at which point they supplement their diets with shrimp and small fishes. Their lifespan is thought to be about 35-50 years.
Belugas are extremely social animals that typically migrate, hunt, and interact together in groups of 10 to several hundred. They are known as the "canaries of the sea," because they produce a vast repertoire of sounds Habitat
Beluga whales are generally found in shallow coastal waters, often in water barely deep enough to cover their bodies, but have also been seen in deep waters. They seem well adapted to both a cold ocean habitat and a warmer freshwater habitat. Belugas can be found swimming among icebergs and ice floes in the waters of the Arctic and subarctic, where water temperatures may be as low as 32° F (0° C). They can also be found in estuaries and river basins.
In April of 2009 the Cook Inlet of Alaska was deemed a critical habitat for Beluga Whales.
Beluga Whale Range Map
Distribution
Beluga whales are circumpolar in distribution. Beluga whales inhabit the Arctic and subarctic regions of Russia, Greenland, and North America. They inhabit the Arctic Ocean and its adjoining seas, including the Sea of Okhotsk, the Bering Sea, the Gulf of Alaska, the Beaufort Sea, Baffin Bay, Hudson Bay, and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. During certain times of the year, belugas may also be found in large rivers, such as the Yukon, as they seem to be unaffected by salinity changes. Population Trends
Five distinct stocks of beluga whales occur in the United States, all in Alaska:
Cook Inlet
Bristol Bay
Eastern Bering Sea
Eastern Chukchi Sea
Beaufort Sea
All 4 of the other stocks are considered stable or have not exhibited a decreasing trend in numbers. Population size estimates from the most recent [[pr/sars/species.htm|Stock Assessment Reports]] are (approximately):
Bristol Bay: 1,600 individuals
Eastern Bering Sea: 18,000 individuals
Eastern Chukchi Sea: 3,700 individuals,
Beaufort Sea: 40,000 individuals
Threats
Belugas are the only cetacean with skin thick enough to be used as leather when tanned. For this and other reasons they have been harvested over the years. Human-caused mortality, primarily legal subsistence harvest by Alaska Natives, has been the most significant source of mortality of this species during recent times. Subsistence harvest is the only factor that can be identified as influencing the decline of the Cook Inlet population from 1994 to 1998 when 67 whales per year were harvested, prompting the "depleted" designation under the MMPA. The lack of recovery of the population after these harvests were curtailed was a factor that contributed to the recent ESA listing. Moreover, Cook Inlet is highly developed, and human activity is expected to increase in the future. Potential human-caused threats to this population include shipping, oil and gas production and transport, indirect and direct adverse effects from commercial fishing gear (e.g., gillnets) and operations, pollution, habitat destruction and alteration, harassment due to increasing commerce and recreation in Cook Inlet, and noise.
The other 4 stocks have levels of subsistence harvest that do not threaten their survival, and hence those stocks are not considered "strategic" stocks under the MMPA.
Bycatch in various commercial fisheries sometimes occurs but does not appear to be a threat to any of the stocks.
Natural threats from predation are also potentially of concern. Natural predators of belugas are polar bears and killer whales. Predation by killer whales is estimated at least 1 animal per year. According to some population models, this is just below a level that would lead to population declines. Beluga whales trapped by ice are often susceptible to predation by polar bears, starvation, and suffocation. Strandings are common in this population and seem to result from avoidance of killer whales plus other unknown causes. The low reproductive rate of beluga whales is also a concern. Conservation Efforts
NMFS developed a [[pr/pdfs/species/belugawhale_conservationplan.pdf|conservation plan]] [pdf] under the MMPA that details many proposed and current conservation actions. The plan sets a goal of a minimum population of 780 animals before NMFS would no longer consider this stock depleted. Achievement of this goal is expected to take a minimum of 30 years. Management of the Alaskan Native subsistence fishery in Cook Inlet occurs through a Cooperative Agreement between NMFS and the Cook Inlet Marine Mammal Council. A separate co-management agreement is in place for the native subsistence fishery for the other 4 stocks. These groups set harvest limits and other requirements to ensure conservation of the species. Regulatory Overview
On March 3, 1999, NMFS received two petitions to list the Cook Inlet population of beluga whales as endangered under the ESA. The petitioners requested that we promulgate an emergency listing under section 4(b)(7) of the ESA, designate critical habitat for Cook Inlet beluga whales, and take immediate action to implement rulemaking to regulate the harvest of these whales.
In May 2000, NMFS designated Cook Inlet beluga whales as depleted under the[[pr/laws/mmpa/|Marine Mammal Protection Act]]. However, at that time, the agency determined that the Cook Inlet beluga whale DPS was not threatened or endangered under the [[pr/laws/esa/|ESA]]. Because this stock did not show significant evidence of recovery thereafter, NMFS initiated a second Status Review in the spring of 2006.
In April 20, 2006, the Trustees for Alaska petitioned NMFS to list the Cook Inlet beluga whale as threatened or endangered under the ESA. NMFS evaluated the petition and conducted a status review.
In October 2008, NMFS determined that beluga whales needed protection under the ESA, and on October 22, 2008, listed the population as endangered.
In April 2009, NMFS solicited public comments and information in an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to designate critical habitat for Cook Inlet beluga whales. In December 2009, NMFS [[pr/pdfs/fr/fr74-63080.pdf|proposed critical habitat]] [pdf] for Cook Inlet beluga whales, also announced in this [[pr/pdfs/species/belugawhale_cookinlet_criticalhabitat_proposed.pdf|press releas]]e [pdf].
The Killer Whale- Recent Endangered Species: By Josh Kotecki
A group of killer whales have surfaced. Four dorsal fins are visible, three of which curve backward at the tip.
Taxonomy Kingdom:Animalia Phylum:Chordata Class:Mammalia Order:Cetacea Family:Delphinidae Genus:Orcinus Species:orca Overview
Killer whales are commonly referred to as the orca and are widely distributed throughout the world’s oceans. They live in all oceans and all areas including the tropical and arctic waters. They have a diverse diet with the species eating according to their geographic location. They eat can eat salmon, seals, harbor seals, California sea lions, herring, stingrays, sharks and other various fish and seals. Killer whales have a certain color pattern with black dorsal and ventral portions and white patch above and behind eye and variable gray or white area behind dorsal fin. The male orca’s size can reach up to 32 feet and weigh 11 tons and females can reach 28 feet and weigh 8 tons. Their lifespan ranges with females living to an average of 50 years and males typically living to 35 years. They normally live in groups of 2 to 10 and communicate with clicks and whistle like most whales Habitat
The killer whales are located in all oceans, but prefer the colder and temperate climates of the Arctic and the Antarctic waters. They are most numerous in the colder waters like in the northern Pacific, Iceland and Antarctica, but have been sighted along the shores of Washington, Oregon, California, and also warm water of Hawaii and Australia. They have great ability to venture into tropical waters and have even been seen in fresh water rivers around the world such as the Rhine, the Thames, and the Elbe. The orca can be found in both the open deep.
Orca photos, Rolf Hicker Nature Photography
Major Threats
The orca is widely distributed throughout the world’s oceans, but the exact status of most populations of orcas is unknown. Two populations do receive special protections under federal law. The laws are the ESA Endangered, which protect the Southern Resident population and the MMPA Depleted law that protect the AT1 Transient population and Southern Resident population. There are some threats even though they have been commercially hunted or captured in the past 40 years within the U.S. water. There has been live capture and culling that has depleted the Southern Resident stock. Other threats include contaminants, depletion of prey to overfishing and habitat degradation and oil spills. Conservation Efforts One recent conversation effort was in 2005, when the U.S. government listed the southern resident community of killer whales as an endangered population under the ESA. Overall there is little if any direct attack on killer whales. In 1946 the IWC was created to stop whaling and even though killer whales are not directly on it, most large whaling has stopped and no visible whaling threat. Also in 2008, the IUCN changed killer whales from conservation dependent to data deficient meaning that they may actually be an endangered species. Other conservation efforts include a proposed plan for the southern resident under the MMPA, which include measures for more prey availability, less pollution and to stop and lessen oil spills. Many more efforts are being proposed to stop the orca from becoming endangered. Citations http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=84 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killer_whale http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/killer-whale/ http://www.acsonline.org/factpack/KillerWhale.html
Sharks are being overharvested for their fins by Amber Peters
Start with a title and a "byline" as above.
First, give a little bit of life history or information about the organism or resource that you have chosen.
Sharks are vertebrates that are members of the class Chondrichthyes. There fossil record extends back over 150 million years.
Next, describe the marine resource/organism that is being harvested and why it is a problem
Humans kill over 10 million sharks each year. The majority of these are killed just for their fins and the rest of the shark is discarded overboard. Many of these are killed illegallly, but since shark fin soup sells for up to $100 a bowl in parts of Asia, the profits can be high.
Finally, explain any recent legal changes that are affecting the marine resource/organism you choose and then describe at least 2 specific programs that are addressing the problem and leading to a solution.
In 2009, the United States passed legislation to prohibit landing of sharks without fins.
Palau has made their entire EEZ a shark sanctuary.
Costa Rica has lead a program to stop shark harvesting.
Remember to add citations...these can just be URLs
Hawksbill Sea Turtles....Is there hope?
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Family: Cheloniidae
Genus: Eretmochelys
Species: imbricata
Overview: The hawksbill sea turtle is a smaller to medium size turtle. It weighs between 95-165lbs but can weigh up to 300 lbs, it is normally 2 ½ feet long but has been recorded up to 3 feet. The hawksbill sea turtle has one of the most beautiful carapaces (top shell) of all the sea turtles. It has a “tortiseshell” coloring ranging in all different colors from golden brown to black sometimes even with orange or red in it. The carapace’s edge is usually serrated with an overall shape of an oval or sometimes a heart.
The hawksbill sea turtle gets it name from the shape of its head. The head is elongated and tapers to a point to create a beak or bill. This is necessary for the sea turtle because they feed on sponges and other invertebrates. They are set apart from all other sea turtles because they have two claws on each of the flippers.
Habitat: Hawksbill sea turtle occupy many different habitats throughout their life. They hatch from a vegetated beach and then leave the dry land only to return from if they are female to that same beach to lay eggs.
During their juvenile years they stay in the pelagic zone and take safety in the floating algal mats and drift lines. Once they mature and grow in size they will spend the rest of the lives along the coastal waters and coral reefs. They also will change their feeding style into final prey of sponges. Coral reefs still provide the safety that resting hawksbills need both day and night.
They live all long the coastal waters along the equator. They most concentrated nesting areas of nesting is in Australia.
Threat: The major threats that Hawksbill Sea turtle is loss of nesting beaches. This makes it very hard to bring their populations up. Another major threat they face is loss of food and habitat. They are keystone species, which means when they are present in an ecosystem then the ecosystem is healthy. Another issue is they are by catch in many fishing methods.
They also sure come to poaching for their eggs along with their shells.
Conservation Efforts: The major effort is coming together in a world effort because they travel from country to country and are starting to be protected among all of them. They are also changing fishing methods so that the by catch of sea turtles is lowered. They are also protecting the beaches at they lay at. Since sea turtles return to their natal beaches it is very important to protect them. It is the easiest way to raise the numbers up. Coral reefs are also being monitored much more closely, which will protect the reefs itself and all of the species it hosts.
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/turtles/hawksbill.htm
http://www.fws.gov/northflorida/SeaTurtles/Turtle%20Factsheets/hawksbill-sea-turtle.htm
Atlantic Salmon-Farmed or Not Farmed? By Marjorie Niblack
Taxonomy:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Osteichthyes
Order: Salmoniformes
Family: Salmonidae
Genus: Salmo
Species: Salar
History of Organism:
Atlantic Salmon once were common in all the rivers north of the Hudson River where now they are only seen in eleven rivers in the north. Atlantic Salmon have a complex life cycle where the female, after spending two winters at sea, goes to the fresh water rivers and lay her eggs. These eggs than hatch and live in the freshwater 1-5 years (the farther north they are the longer they stay in the freshwater) before moving out to the Atlantic Ocean. They are generally a smaller fish weighing about 8-12 lbs but can be up to 30 lbs depending on the year.
The Hudson Dam led to a great fall in the salmon populations as they were unable to spawn farther up the rivers and this, in addition to pollution, over harvesting, and predators caused the massive endangerment of Atlantic salmon.
Why it is being harvested and how it is a problem:
However, the fishery market still wanted this type of fish on the market and the aquaculture business started. This Atlantic Salmon is easy to harvest as it takes little fish meal to feed in comparison to wild Atlantic Salmon. With this efficient method of raising salmon and increase in jobs since 1980 the aquaculture industry has exceeded a million tons in 2000. With this large increase in aquaculture prices of salmon have dropped to an all time low causing pressure on farms to produce more, and when more is produced there is room for mistakes.
Some of the many issues are the chemicals used on the farmed salmon being released into the Ocean causing various dangers for wild fish in the Ocean. Feces and food are being released into the ocean as well causing an abundance of pollution to be dumped into the Ocean that, with a million tons a year, can be an overwhelming source of pollution. Also there is a danger in the “escapees” from the farms, causing invasive species in Alaska depleting the number of wild salmon present there, also the spread of disease from the farmed fish to the wild fish have been of great concern for the past decade.
Economically society also holds a concern, as these fish are easy to produce and are causing a rapid price drop in the salmon market that could lead to an overall collapse. The quality of fish is also in question; elevated PCB levels cause danger for children and adults that adults should never eat more than one meal per month and that children under 6 should only have a half a meal a month. Overall the rating of this fish is “Eco Worst Choice” and is advised not to be purchased or eaten when given the option of wild or canned salmon.
Regulations:
In 2010 Greenpeace International added Atlantic Salmon to the “seafood red list” which means that Atlantic Salmon are sold around the world commonly in fish markets, however it is advised to not purchase them as they are from “unsustainable fisheries”. In Alaska the Department of Fish and Game work to keep Atlantic Salmon out of the fishing grounds and contaminating the already present fish. They provide identification sheets, articles explaining the danger in capturing these fish and where to turn these fish into when they are caught.
The ESA in the United States is working to protect the wild Atlantic Salmon in the United States by adding the following criteria: “Section 9 of the ESA makes it illegal to take an endangered species of fish or wildlife. The definition of take is to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct. (16 U.S.C. 1532(19)) http://www.epa.gov/EPA-SPECIES/1998/May/Day-01/e11668.htm recently, adding to the protection of Atlantic Salmon. The Atlantic Salmon Conservation preserves wild salmon by working to open dams and keep the water for the Salmon fresh and unpolluted while managing poaching. They also keep detailed records of the number of fish trapped each year to see how the populations are on the rise.
Sources:
http://www.fws.gov/r5crc/Stuff/appc.html
http://www.maine.gov/asc/
http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/special/as/as_home.php
http://www.fao.org/fishery/culturedspecies/Salmo_salar/en
http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=15802
bioweb.uwlax.edu
The Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch
The world’s oceans are in serious trouble today and most of the reasons are human related. Although there are a myriad of problems facing the seas but one of the most conspicuous is the amount of trash that is being dumped into the waters. Of course every country is different and we differ even more on an individual base, but on average each of us
It is not too certain how large the actual garbage patch is, but two estimates are that it is the size of Texas or even France. The major problem with measuring the amount of debris in the ocean and cleaning it up is that the ocean is extremely deep with many different layers, which provide a lot of room for these dangerous plastics to go. Nature does have its own way of attempting to fix the problem that humans have caused, but it is actually doing more harm than good. Through a process known as photodegradation, the sun degrades large pieces of plastic and makes them smaller and smaller and releases harmful chemicals that eventually affect the environment any way. Through photodegradation, the plastic is never actually removed from the sea, but is just made smaller and smaller, and eventually eaten by fish causing their premature deaths.
The formation of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is an example of how humans and nature do not mix. “Earth has five or six
One of the most serious ways the sea life is killed by the trash is through a phenomenon known as ghost fishing where old nets that are not in use anymore are left in the ocean and still do their job to capture fish, however these animals die for no reason at all because there are no fishermen around to retrieve them. Another major way animals die specifically to turtles is by eating things that seem to be food but are not. Turtles eat plastic bags thinking that they are jellyfish and other fish eat small pieces of plastic thinking that they are small pieces of food. Another example of animals eating small pieces of plastic that they mistake for food is when the bird Albatross picks up plastic that looks like fish eggs and they feed them to their young, and their young ultimately have slow painful deaths.
All hope is not lost though because there are many movements that are currently going on involving massive organizations as well as individuals. On the individual level people are encouraged to recycle everything even plastic because some scientists don’t see plastic as the enemy but we need to be able to recycle it so that we do not have to keep making more. On a more major level, Project Kaisei has been collecting samples of the debris in the garbage patch to analyze it and scientists from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography held a conference about the same topic.
Long-lining and Albatross: Murder on the High Seas by Bruce Winters
Kingdom Anamalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Aves
Order Procellariiformes
Family Diomediodae
Geni - Diomedea, Thallasarche, Phoebastria, Phoebetria
Albatross are a group of seabirds found throughout the Pacific and Southern Oceans. Their are 21 different species of Albatross, of these 19 are endangered, and the other 2 are considered threatened. Some species are on the brink of extinction, such as the Chatham's Albatross which has only 15 known mating pairs left in the world. Albatross spend their entire lives at sea, roosting on small islands only to mate. They usually nest on isolated islands; where colonies are on larger landmasses, they are found on exposed headlands with good approaches from the sea in several directions. Mating pairs of Albatross are established after several years and involve many ritualistic forms of dance, and once a pair mates they are monogomous, or for the rest of their lives they will only mate together.Albatross are considered K-selected organisms. This means that they live longer, reach sexual maturity, breed, have fewer young, and invest more into their young than other birds.
The Albatross has the largest wingspan of any bird, depending on the species, their wingspan can range from 5 feet to 11 feet across. These large wings which are disproportionate to their smaller bodies, allow the Albatross to fly for vast amounts of time while using very little energy. Albatross feed on squid, fish, krill, and carrion which they hunt from the air. When an albatross spots prey it will dive up to 12 meters into the ocean to catch it.
Long Lining
Long lining is a method of fishing that has been used for decades because it allows a large area to be fished at once using minimal effort. The process involves one long line that can be a few hundred yards to many miles, attached to this line are hundreds of shorter lines, each with hundreds of baited hooks, that sink down to a certain depth and wait for fish to take the bait. The fishing vessel will periodically pull up the lines to harvest their catch and re-bait the hooks. This is a problem because the Albatross sees this bait, which is usually smaller fish, and interprets it as food; swooping down to catch its prey, only to be hooked on the line. The line then sinks, and the albatross, unable to free itself, drowns. When the fishermen eventually pull up the line, which could be hours to days later, the bird is dead and is thrown back into the ocean. This is called bycatch, or the unintentional catch of an organism that is of no value to the fisherman, and it is often fatal. It is estimated that over 300,000 seabirds are killed every year when they become bycatch, of that, 100,000 are albatross. For a species like the Chatham's Albatross, thats not a risk we can take.
Hope for the Future: Saving the Albatross
In order to combat the enormous number of albatross killed each year as bycatch, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and Birdlife International, started the "Save the Albatross Campaign". Using donations, grants, and other funds, they have created six Albatross task forces, located at "bycatch hotspots" in South America and Southern Africa. The mission of the task forces is to educate fisherman and citizens about the danger of bycatch and how it can be reduced or prevented. This increase in conservation education has greatly reduced the bycatch mortality rate of the albatross.
In May of 2009, South Africa designated the antarctic islands of Prince Edward, and the 180,000 square kilometers surrounding them, a marine protected area. Prohibiting all forms of fishing within these waters will allow the five species of albatross that roost on the islands to replenish their populations and secure a future for their species. The Prince Edward Marine Protected Area is one of the largest MPA's in the world, and provides a home to endangered seabirds, as well as endangered whales, seals, and penguins. South Africa's efforts will put pressure on other countries to preserve the world's oceans, hopefully ensuring a future for all species.
http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/details.asp?id=tcm:9-245149http://www.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/albatross/?163741http://www.birdlife.org/action/campaigns/save_the_albatross/
Unintentional killing of Dolphins by use of Seine Fishing techniques by Amrita Mukherjee
Dolphins along with whales and porpoises are descendants of terrestrial mammals, most likely of the Artiodactyls order. The ancestors of the modern day dolphins entered the water roughly 50 million years ago. Modern dolphins are different because they have two small rod shaped pelvic bones thought to be vestigial hind limbs but over the years of evolving, these limbs have virtually disappeared. Dolphins are essentially toothed whales belonging to the sub-order Odontocetes of the order cetacean. Even though dolphins can reach lengths of up to 20 feet they are still classified as small cetaceans. Dolphins also possess a distinct beak with conical shaped teeth, well suited to their diet. The Delphinidae family to which dolphins belongs is the largest and most diverse family of the cetacean order and it includes over 30 living species with most of the species found in the Hawaiian waters of the Pacific Ocean. In addition to its largest population center of Hawaii, dolphins are found in essentially all oceans and major seas across the world and some even exist in the large river systems. This distribution however is not random. Each species has evolved over millions of years to fit into a certain niche within the regional ecosystem. This niche relates to all aspects of the dolphins way of life ranging from its physical home to food, behavior, predator and physical environmental factors necessary for its survival. All dolphins are generally classified as carnivores. Some species feed on fish while others have a varied diet including fish, squids, crabs, shrimps and even lobsters.
Often confused with porpoises, dolphins have a beak and a curved dorsal fin whereas a porpoise has a blunt head and a triangular dorsal fin. Like other marine animals, dolphins have become greatly adapted to their environment over millions of years through evolution. Anatomically their bodies have become streamlined to move effectively in the aquatic environment. The tail fin, called the fluke, is used for propulsion, while the pectoral fins together with the entire tail section provide directional control. The main thrust comes from the vertical oscillations of the tail and flukes and most species are capable of speeds of up to 19 miles per hour with jumps of up to 30 feet or higher. The dorsal fin on the other hand provides stability while swimming. Their body is sleek and smooth and the hairless skin is rubbery to the touch, most species are characterized by a jaw protruding into a beak like snout above which is a large mass of fat and oil containing tissue forming the so called “melon” that appears to be like a bulging forehead. Being mammals, dolphins need to breathe air in order to maintain a high body temperature. The thick layer of blubber under the skin provides an effective insulation against heat loss to the environment. Captive dolphins have provided with suitable reproductive behavior patterns suggesting that mating usually occurs during the spring months. The female then carries the young calf for 11 to 12 months before delivery in a tail first manner. The newborn is capable of swimming and breathing within the first few minutes. The calf usually follows its mother closely with frequent suckling. Nursing continues for as long as 12 to 18 months after birth.
Dolphins are extremely and constantly vocal. Specialized mechanisms in the nasal passage below the blow-hole enables them to emit short, pulse-type sounds. These sounds, called clicks, can be produced in such rapid succession as to sound like a buzz or even a duck like quack. The clicks are used as a form of sonar, in which echoes of sounds from surrounding objects enable the animals to detect obstacles, other dolphins, fish and other tiny bits of matter in the water. This ability is termed as Echolocation. However deeper in the respiratory system, presumably in the larynx, dolphins produce another type of sound which is like a high pitched whistle. Apparently the dolphins use these whistles to communicate a particular emotional state and thus influence the behavior of other dolphins. It can even denote alarm or sexual excitement. Because dolphins are highly social and vocalize among themselves with a wide range of sounds, it has been thought that they might possess almost human like intelligence. In the 1950’s and 60’s well publicized experiments were conducted based on this concept, but was rejected on basis of poor documentation and lacking scientific validity. Because of the ability of dolphins to learn and perform complex tasks in captivity, their continuous communications with one another and their ability, through training to approximate the sounds of a few human words some investigators have suggested that the animal might be capable to learning a true language and communicating with humans.
Next, describe the marine resource/organism that is being harvested and why it is a problem?
Seine fishing is a technique that uses a large fishing new that hangs vertically in the water by attaching weights along the bottom edge and floats along the edge of the top. This technique has greatly affected the dolphin population across the world and in particular the Pacific Ocean. Unobserved deaths of nursing calves due to separation from their mothers during fishing have increased in the region. Based on an analysis of dolphins killed between the year 1973 to 1990 and depending on the length at which calves are assumed to become independent, there was a deficit of calves relative to the number of lactating females killed in 24-32 percent of the 1874 spotted sets is an alarming discovery in recent years. Many believe that the problem lies further deeper in the strange travel patterns of tuna fish beneath schools of dolphins. Tuna fishermen were among the first people who discovered this phenomenon. In order to catch tuna underneath, they set mile-long purse –seine nets around the dolphins. In so doing, tens of thousands of dolphins were caught and drowned in tunas nets each year. In the early 1970s, conservationists brought these drowning to the public’s attention. Many however were either unaware that dolphin drowning occur, or believe that the problem was solved long ago. The problem really has its roots in a method of fishing developed by the American tuna industry in about 1960. The technique called “fishing on dolphin”, for unknown reasons, yellow-fin tuna and certain dolphins swim together. Scientists even suggest that tuna rely heavily on the dolphin’s acute sense of hearing or echolocation, to find food or to avoid predators. Since dolphins are air breathing mammals, spotting dolphins when they come to the surface is relatively easy. The tuna boats search for the dolphins and when they are able to locate a school, the boats deploy very long purse seine nets to entrap the tuna that swim below the dolphins. As the net is pursed, the tuna and dolphins are caught. This is a critical moment as dolphins are air breathing mammals and they are susceptible to drowning as the net encircles them. Since the 1960, when the U.S. developed the technology of “fishing on dolphins” an estimated 6000,000 dolphins have dies in purse seining nets. From 1959 to 1972 a total of about 4.8 million dolphins are estimated to have been killed.
Finally, explain any recent legal changes that are affecting the marine resource/organism you choose and then describe at least 2 specific programs that are addressing the problem and leading to a solution.
The Marine Mammal Protection Act was passed in 1972 and it was ascertained that the U.S. fleet was responsible for 87 percent of the dolphin kill. Since then, there has been a decrease in dolphin kill. Some people say that the decrease has not been enough. They fear that yellow fin tuna fishing has already drastically reduced the dolphin populations. Some scientists state that dolphin population danger signs already exist. They note that because estimates on the number of animals killed are based on actual body counts, the numbers can be seriously misleading. Individuals that have been injured and escaped only to die a short distance away are not counted.
Because of these fears, various environmental groups initiated a successful campaign to change the regulations governing yellow fin tuna fishing. They recognized that the United States Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) of 1972 calls for the reduction of marine mammal kills "to insignificant levels approaching zero mortality. In 1984, the U.S. Congress reviewed the Marina Mammal Protection Act and the representatives recognized that the dolphins were still in danger and they also recognized that the U.S. tuna fishing crews were at a competitive disadvantage. U.S. boats spent more money to fish in ways that did not capture dolphins. To provide help for the dolphins and the fishers, Congress amended the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The new Act required that each nation exporting tuna to the United States provide documentary evidence that it had adopted a program comparable to the U.S. dolphin protection program. Exporting nations also had to provide evidence that the average rate of accidental dolphin deaths caused by its fleet is comparable to that of the U.S. fleet. During an MMPA reauthorization hearing in April, 1989, it was noted that NOAA Fisheries hadn't yet completed regulations implementing the 1984 amendment. Foreign fleets were fishing and exporting tuna to the U.S. as they always had. It was also revealed that the U.S. tuna purse-seine fleet had declined by more than 60% in the last ten years but that the level of incidental dolphin take by the fleet had not gone down proportionately. The remaining boats were catching more, not fewer, dolphins. Finally, it was noted that the estimated numbers of dolphins killed by foreign fleets had increased dramatically in 1986 and 1987. Clearly, the 1984 changes in the Marine Mammal Protection Act were not being effectively implemented.
Congress was not pleased by these findings. In light of these developments, Congress enacted additional amendments that require the Secretary of Commerce (the person ultimately in charge of enforcing the MMPA) to find the regulatory programs of other nations unacceptable unless:
- They included prohibitions against encircling pure (i.e., single species) schools of certain marine mammals, and conducting "sundown sets". Sundown sets were prohibited because dolphins are harder to see and remove from nets during sunset hours. The nation's program would also need to implement other dolphin-saving measures applicable to U.S. vessels.
- The nation's program reduced the average rate of incidental dolphin kills by its vessels to no more than 1 1/4 times that of American vessels.
- The total number of eastern spinner dolphins, Stenella longirostris, taken incidentally during the fishing season does not exceed 15% of the total number of all marine mammals taken incidentally by vessels of the harvesting nation.
- The total number of coastal spotted dolphins, Stenella attenuata, taken incidentally during the fishing season does not exceed 2% of the total number of all marine mammals taken incidentally by vessels of the harvesting nation.
- The rate of incidental takes during the fishing season is monitored by the Porpoise Mortality Observer Program of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission or an equivalent international program in which the United States participates. The observer program must be based upon observer coverage equal to that of U.S. vessels during the same period.
- The harvesting nation complies with all reasonable requests by the Secretary for cooperation in carrying out the scientific research program required by the MMPA.
- The amendments also require that the government of any intermediary nation that exports yellowfin tuna or tuna products to the United States provide reasonable proof that these products didn't originate from a country without an appropriate dolphin-protection program.
The message from the U.S. Congress to other nations was meant to be clear: "Play by these rules, or don't sell tuna in this country".In 1998 the 35th (Inter-governmental Meeting held in the context of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission under the International Dolphin Conservation Program) drew up an agreement on the “International Dolphin Conservation Program”, which is aimed at limiting dolphin mortalities during tuna fishing in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. This agreement was basically aimed at gradually reducing incidental dolphin mortalities in the tuna purse-seine fishery in the Eastern Pacific Ocean to levels approaching zero, through the setting of annual limits, and promoting research for the purpose of seeking ecologically-sound means of capturing large yellow-fin tunas not in association with dolphins. Lastly, it also ensured the long-term sustainability of tuna stocks by avoiding the by-catch and discard of juvenile fish. Also since the late 1970’s American boats have used a technique called “backing down” in which the boat pulls the net out from under the dolphins. This strategy has greatly reduced dolphin drowning.
Similarly the “Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society” has on-going campaigns to protect the dolphins that are affected by fisheries and human interaction. In addition the WDCS is trying to fulfill the obligations in order to ensure the long-term sustainability of dolphins. They have strongly emphasized on establishment of a system that provides incentives to vessel captains to reduce incidental dolphin mortality as well as a system of technical training and certifications. Also it has been recommended to establish a system for the tracking and verification of tuna fished without mortality or serious injury of dolphins.
Citations
Free Willy & Save The Killer Whales by: Dominic Fortino
Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Cetacea
Family: Delphinidae
Genus: Orcinus
Species: orca
Description:
The killer whale is the most evenly distributed marine mammals. Killer whales have a distinct color pattern, with black dorsal and white ventricles. They also have a large white patch above and behind the eye. Adult Male killer whales can reach 32 feet in length and can weigh nearly 22,000 pounds. Adult Female killer whales can reach 28 feet in length and can weigh up to 16,500 pound.
Threats:
One small threat to killer whales is hunting because of their rare meat, but the major threat to killer whales is vessel traffic. Being struck by a boat is a very serious injury to killer whales and without medical attention can leave the Orca deformed, maimed or even killed. Another major threat is the effects of pollutants dumped into the oceans. Not only does it kill the whales but the ones that don't die are often unable to reproduce, which is very dangerous with endangered species.
Habitat:
Killer whales are evenly distributed through every ocean, but they prefer the comfort of cooler and polar waters. The largest population of killer whales lives in the antarctic ocean. The migration habits of killer whales are poorly understood. Each summer the same killer whales migrate from British Columbia and it is unknown where they go or why. Killer whales prefer salt water. But have been seen near fresh on occasion.
Diet:
Killer whales prey on many species, although,populations show a high degree of specialization. Some populations in the Norwegian sea specialize in herring and follow that fish's migration to the coast. Other populations regularly eat seals. Northeast Pacific resident killer whales show that salmon accounted for 95% of their diet, with 60% of salmon prey being the Chinook.
Conservation:
Like other animals that are at the highest levels of the food chain, the killer whale is at very high risk of poisoning from of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).Whales near Europe have been shown to haven reproductive and immune problems. Blubber of killer whales in the Arctic show high levels of PCBs, pesticides and brominated flame-retardants. The IUCN state in their conservation measures, that the best ways to prevent the extinction ar as follows:
Prey Availability
Pollution/contaminant clean ups
Create more defined vessel restrictions
Education/Outreach
Research and monitoring
Sources:
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/mammals/cetaceans/killerwhale.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killer_whale#Conservation
http://www.acsonline.org/factpack/KillerWhale.htm
http://www.acsonline.org/research/index.html
Humpback Whales: Populations on the rise but for how long? by Ben McPherson
Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Cetacea
Family: Balaenopteridae
Genus: Megaptera
Species: novaeangliae
Overview:
Humpback whales are well known for their long pectoral fins, which can be up to 15 feet in length. Adult females are larger than males, reaching lengths of up to 60 feet. Their body coloration is primarily dark grey, but individuals have a variable amount of white on their pectoral fins and belly. This variation is so distinctive that the pigmentation pattern on the undersides of their "flukes" is used to identify individual whales, similar to a humans fingerprint.
Humpback whales are the favorite of whale watchers, as they frequently perform aerial displays, such as breaching (jumping out of the water), or slap the surface with their pectoral fins, tails, or heads.
In the summer, humpbacks are found in high latitude feeding grounds such as the Gulf of Maine in the Atlantic and Gulf of Alaska in the Pacific. In the winter, they migrate to calving grounds in subtropical or tropical waters such as the Dominican Republic in the Atlantic and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific. The Arabian Sea humpback, however, does not migrate, remaining in tropical waters all year.
Humpback whales travel great distances during their seasonal migration, the farthest migration of any mammal. The longest recorded migration was 5,160 miles (8,300 km). This trek from Costa Rica to Antarctica was completed by seven animals, including a calf. One of the more closely studied routes is between Alaska and Hawaii, where humpbacks have been observed making the 3,000 mile (4,830 km) trip in as few as 36 days.
Even though humpback population is increasing in abundance, it was estimated that prior to whaling humpback abundance in the southern hemisphere was 100,000 whales. Between the years of 1904-1980 it was estimated that 200,000 humpback whales were harvested in the southern hemisphere. In the North Pacific, humpback abundance was estimated at fewer than 1,400 whales in 1966, after heavy commercial exploitation. The current abundance estimate for the North Pacific is about 20,000 whales.
Threats:
Humpback whales face entanglement in fishing gear, ship strikes, whale watching harassment, habitat impacts and proposed harvest. Japan has proposed killing of 50 humpback whales as part of its program of scientific research under special permit, also Denmark recently proposed to hunt of 10 humpbacks a year off the coast of Greenland.
Conservation efforts:
In 1946, the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling regulated commercial whaling of humpback whales. In 1966, the International Whaling Commission prohibited commercial whaling of humpbacks. In June 1970, humpback whales were designated as "endangered" under the Endangered Species Conservation Act (ESCA). In 1973, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) replaced the ESCA, and continued to list humpbacks as endangered.
Most recent efforts by NoAA fisheries and its partners are to:
▪ Reduce bycatch in gillnet and trap/pot fisheries in the western North Atlantic through the __Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan__.
▪ Implement marine mammal take reduction measures identified in the Pacific Offshore Cetacean Take Reduction Plan.
▪ Mitigate ship strikes and respond to humpback whales in distress (see __Alaska__ and __Hawaii__ regulations).
▪ Educate whale watch vessels and boat operators on practicing safe boating around whales.
▪ Monitor humpbacks in U.S. waters via shipboard surveys and mark recapture studies.
Research humpback population structure and abundance including the __Structure of Populations, Levels of Abundance, and Status of Humpbacks (SPLASH)__ and More North Atlantic Humpbacks (MoNAH) projects as well as work done at the __Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary__.
References:
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/mammals/cetaceans/humpbackwhale.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humpback_whale
Save The Endangered Manatees By Torey Johns
Taxonomy:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Sirenia
Family: Trichechidae
Genus: Trichechus
Species: Inunguis
Overview: Manatees are large and mostly herbivorous marine mammals they can get up to 2000lbs. They are pretty friendly natured and curious, they get up to 12 feet long, with paddle-like flippers. Its tail is also paddle-shaped, and is the clearest difference between manatees and dugongs. Manatees can travel up to 40 and 50 miles a day if they want to.
Habitats: Manatees live in shallow, marshy coastal areas and rivers of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico (West Indian Manatee), the Amazon Basin (Amazonian Manatee), and West Africa (West African Manatee). Manatees like warmer waters and can’t survive below 60°F, their natural source for warmth during winter is warm-spring rivers. They also like to gather in the shallower waters. They frequently migrate through brackish water estuaries to freshwater springs.
Diets: Manatees are herbivores and eat over 60 different plant species. They eat turtle grass, mangrove leaves, and some types of algae. Adult manatees will eat up to 10% of its body weight, about 110lbs per day. Manatees though will eat some small amounts of fish, usually that they find in nets though.
Threats: Human activity is one of the biggest threats to all three of the manatee species. Manatee deaths in Florida caused by humans have increased year after year, and now account for about 20%-40% of recorded deaths. There were 417 manatee deaths in 2006 with 101 due to human causes according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Manatees can also be crushed in navigation locks, floodgates, or drown in pipes and culverts. They are also killed by entanglement in fishing gear every so often. Manatees are also vulnerable to red tides, which are caused by pollution and causes lower oxygen concentration in the water. Poaching of manatees is also another threat, but not a very significant one.
Conservation Acts:
All three species of manatee are listed as vulnerable to extinction by the World Conservation Union. It is illegal to injure a manatee under federal and Florida law. The ships used by NASA to tow space shuttle rocket boosters back to Kennedy Space Center, are propelled by water jets to protect the endangered manatees that live in the Banana River region. Brazil also did something and outlawed hunting in 1973 to help preserve the species.
http://www.savethemanatee.org/manfcts.htm
http://www.manatees.net/
http://www.thewildones.org/Animals/manatee.html
http://www.homesafe.com/features/manatee/
http://pelotes.jea.com/Manatee.htm
A Rise in European Giant Devil Ray Harvesting Causes a New Addition to the Endangered Species Listby Sarah Kemp
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Elasmobranchii
Order: Myliobatiformes
Family: Myliobatidae
Genus: Mobula
Species: M. mobular
The giant devil ray or devil fish is a species of eagle ray most commonly found in the Mediterranean Sea. They can grow to be 7m from wing tip to wing tip and have three pairs of functioning limbs; the pectoral fins, pelvic fins, and cephalic fins. The cephalic fins, which are at the head and point outward, resemble devil horns and thus give the giant devil rays their name. Their mouth can be found on their underside and they have a serrated spine at the base of their thin tail.
Giant Devil Ray Harvesting
Giant devil rays prey on crustaceans and small schools of fish. They also have a low reproduction rate and limited hunting range, which leads to sensitivity to the slightest environmental changes. In the Mediterranean, the greatest risks to this species are pollution and accidental capture from trawling and bycatch.
However, recently as a result of the decrease in shark populations, manta rays and giant devil rays have been harvested as filler in shark fin soup. The gills of these rays are also being harvested for medicinal purposes, as they are ground into a powder and sold as a purification medication in China. The tails of the rays are also harvested as cattle whips in areas such as Brazil.
Recent Legal Actions/Programs
As a result of this increase in harvesting, in 2004, devil rays were identified by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species as having significant unregulated, unsustainable fishing pressures and extreme population depletion.
Then in 2005, the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean adopted a measure to ban trawling below 1,000 m and banned driftnets throughout the Mediterranean. This is hoped to greatly decrease the threat of bycatch to the giant devilray in the Mediterranean.
Despite these efforts, in 2006 the IUCN Red list classified the giant devil ray as an endangered species. However, there is still hope that the programs that are being put into effect will gradually begin to increase the numbers of giant devil rays.
Citations
http://www.mantas.org/wordpress/?tag=manta-ray
http://www.arkive.org/giant-devilray/mobula-mobular/info.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil_fish
http://www.arkive.org/giant-devilray/mobula-mobular/threats-and-conservation.html
http://m.discovery.com/Shark_Conservation/443583/full/;jsessionid=B11EC50204DF2AB73346126731307FFC.discoverychannel
http://thechumslick.com/media/users/mssharky/5.26.09-mantaray.jpg
http://www.worldhealthlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/devil-ray-good-big-mouth.jpg
http://blog.islandpress.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/callum_manta_ray_sm.jpg
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/21008/21008-h/images/fig-276.jpg
Despite Listing under the Endangered Species Act, Steller Sea Lion populations continue to struggle – by Veronica Quesnell
Image 1.
Steller Sea Lion Taxonomy: Kingdom - Animalia; Phylum - Chordata; Class - Mammalia; Order - Carnivora; Family - Otariidae; Genus - Eumetopias; Species - jubatus.
Background Information: Steller Sea Lions are the largest of all sea lions and are carnivorous. They do not appear to discriminate in their diet and will eat many different species of fish, bivalves, cephalopods, gastropods, and occasionally small seals. They are not at the top of the food chain, however, as killer whales and white sharks prey upon them. While they will travel many miles to find food, Steller Sea Lions are not known to migrate. Males are much larger than females and have a “mane of hair” on their upper body. Like size, survival rates between the sexes also differ as males survive approximately 20 years while females survive 30. Steller Sea Lions reach sexual maturity between 3 and 5 years of age and, while the female may begin breeding upon sexual maturity, the male often does not begin to breed until he is able to hold down his own beach side territory (this occurs at approximately ten years old). Steller Sea Lions populate the North Pacific Ocean rim between Asia and North America, around the coasts to the outer continental shelf.
Image 2.
Threats: The Steller Sea Lion population has continued to decline, despite being listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1990 and a cause has not been agreed upon. Many researchers appear to believe that declining population numbers are due to a number of reasons, rather than a single definitive one. One popular theory is that the fishing industry is harming the Steller Sea Lion – not only because they are often by-catch, but also because commercial fishing depletes the amount of food sources the Steller Sea Lion preys upon. Habitat degradation is also believed to be a factor in declining populations as coastal communities are developed and more boats are introduced into the Steller Sea Lion’s habitat (leading to boat strikes). Pollution and water contamination also become a factor as coastal communities grow and as many countries begin to explore offshore oil opportunities. Lastly, there are theories that poaching has also contributed to a decline in Steller Sea Lion populations as fisherman try to limit predation on their fisheries and aquaculture sites.
Video 1.
Actions/Solutions: According to NOAA, in 1990 the Steller Sea Lion was listed as threatened throughout its range under the Endangered Species Act. Seven years later the populations were split into Easter and Western populations at a longitude of 144 degrees. Once this occurred the western population was relisted as endangered and the eastern population remained listed as threatened. An initial recovery plan was issued in 1992, with an updated recovery plan (adjusting for the east and west split of the population) issued in 2008. Steller Sea Lions are also protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). According to NOAA, “critical habitat has been designated (50 CFR 226.202 on Aug. 27, 1993) for Steller sea lions as a 20 nautical mile buffer around all major haul-outs and rookeries, as well as associated terrestrial, air, and aquatic zones, and three large offshore foraging areas” and the National Marine Fisheries Service has been hard at work enacting fishery management measures which would “minimize competition” between the fishing industry and Steller Sea Lions in critical habitat. Public campaigns have also been used, with success, to curb the illegal shooting of Steller Seal Lions. For instance, in the 1990’s NOAA ran a “Don’t shoot Seal Lions” campaign and successfully prosecuted two individuals, which raised public awareness and acted as a deterrent for fisherman (pg. 85 of the updated Steller Seal Lion recovery plan found on the NOAA website). Some states, such as Alaska, have devised strict protection measures, such as limits on trawling or no transit areas, in their area of responsibility (can be found here: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/sustainablefisheries/2003hrvstspecssl.htm).
CITATIONS:
IMAGE 1: http://seagrant.uaf.edu/marine-ed/mm/images/stellersealion-rev.jpg
IMAGE 2: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/mammals/pinnipeds/stellersealion.htm
VIDEO 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_vUD30VqiY
SOURCES:
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/mammals/pinnipeds/stellersealion.htm
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/steller-sea-lion/
http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/pubs/notebook/marine/sealion.php
Blackfoot Lionfish Invasion by Amanda Canham
Taxonomy
Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Scorpaeniformes
Family: Scorpaenidae
Subfamily: Pteroinae
Genus: Parapterois
Species: heterura
Overview
The blackfoot lionfish, or Parapterois hererura is a small, venomous fish that originated in the Indian Ocean. Parapterois is now widely distributed off the southeastern coast of Africa as well as in Japan and parts of Indonesia. The red lionfish has recently been causing problems in parts of the southeastern United States and the Bahamas, threatening the fishing industry. As of March 2009 lionfish have spread to Cuba, Jamaica, Cayman and as far as Belize.Parapterios have very few predators including varieties of grouper and gray triggerfish. They mainly feed at dawn and dusk on small juvenile bottom feeding fish.
Threats
Lionfish have invaded the waters of the Caribbean and are quickly multiplying along the East Coast, devouring native reef fish as they go. According to some scientists, the lionfish invasion has the potential to be the “most disastrous marine invasion in history.” It seems as though the only publicly accepted solution is to encourage a market for them. Lionfish has been rated highly on taste and texture and many restaurants in the Caribbean and Florida have had success serving them.Citations
http://www.blackbeard-cruises.com/lionfish.html
http://www.safmc.net/Portals/6/Meetings/Council/BriefingBook/Mar2010/ECBM/Att2Eat%20Lionfishsynopsis.pdf
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/Invasion-of-the-Lionfish.html
The Leatherback Sea Turtle by Jim Canham
Leatherback Sea Turtle
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Sauropsida
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Family: Dermochelyidae
Overview: The leather back turtle is the largest of the all sea turtle species. It is the only turtle that does not have a hard shell. Leatherback’s bodies are completely covered in oily skin, making them particularly more defenseless than other turtles. Leatherbacks can grow up to 9 ft long and weigh as much as 1500 lbs. With their metabolic rate functioning at four times that of a regular reptile, they can keep their body temperatures 64 degrees above the temperature of the seawater. The leatherback is also one of the few marine animals to live everywhere in the ocean. Although they are quite rare, they still inhabit the major seas of the planet with the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans having the highest populations.
Threats: The first major threat for leatherbacks, and all turtles is their hatching process. Birds and crabs eat many leatherback hatchlings before they reach the sea, where still they face a great danger from much larger prey. Leatherbacks do not have much of a value to humans so they are not harvested for anything, but they are often found dead in nets as by catch from large fishing vessels. Events such as pollution and over fishing are affecting the leatherbacks by polluting their habitats, and killing the turtles. Groups in Kenya have created turtle watching and rescue sites to revive these amazing creatures and bring their populations back to their original numbers.
Resources:
http://costaricanconservationnetwork.wordpress.com/2009/09/15/piles-of-support-for-leatherback-national-park/
http://www.villavictoriatobago.com/Sea%20Turtles.html?OpenDocument
One of the Most Endangered Animals on the Planet: The Chinese River Dolphin by Mike Hanlon
Taxonomy:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Cetacea
Family: Lipotidae
Genus: Lipotes
Species: vexillifer
Description: The Chinese river dolphin, or Yangtze river dolphin, is considered to be one of the most endangered animals on Earth. This freshwater dolphin was once considered to be the goddess of protection by local fisherman and boatmen in China (though it has been described in Chinese folklore dating all the way back to 200 B.C., the Chinese river dolphin was not known to the western world until 1916). A mature Chinese river dolphin is about 8 ft. long and weighs about 500 pounds, and is pale blue to gray on the dorsal (back) side and white on the ventral (belly) side.
Threats: The main threat to the Chinese river dolphin is by-catch in local fisheries, which use rolling hooks, nets, and electro-fishing. At least half of all known dolphin deaths in the 1970s and 1980s were caused by rolling hooks and other fishing gear, while electro-fishing accounted for 40% of dolphin deaths recorded during the 1990s. Other threats to the Chinese river dolphin include river development projects, pollution, vessel collision, and prey depletion. Furthermore, the increasing rate of the construction of dams in China has resulted in blockages between the river and the lakes, interrupting the movements of the dolphin upstream of the dams and eliminating their access to tributaries and lakes. The dams also lead to notable declines in fish populations, harming the dolphin's prey source.
Conservation Efforts: Since 1986 there have been five natural reserves established along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River set up for the protection of the Chinese river dolphin. These reserves, while a step in the right direction, have failed to prevent the incidental death of the species, which is an unfortunately frequent occurrence. In addition to these reserves, two semi-natural reserves have been established for the purpose of housing Chinese River dolphins under human management. In response to the dramatic decline of the dolphin between 1985 and 1987, the Chinese Government issued the "Circular for the Protection of Precious and Rare Wildlife" and the "Urgent Circular Banning Hunt, Trade, and Smuggling of Precious and Rare Animals," making the protection of the species a law. On the subject of current management strategies appropriate for the protection of the Chinese river dolphin, "WWF scientists say that the keys to the survival of [the] species lie[s] in conserving oxbow lakes in the Yangtze, creating a network of nature reserves along the river, and changing the management of the river to a more holistic ecosystem-based management system that would maximize benefits for both people and nature."
Sources:
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/mammals/cetaceans/chineseriverdolphin.htmhttp://www.lifeinthefastlane.ca/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/baiji_dolphin_1sfw.jpg
http://www.ohiostatealumni.org/resources/travel/PublishingImages/Three_Gorges_Dam.jpg
http://www.worldwildlife.org/who/media/press/2006/WWFPresitem898.html
Atlantic Salmon, On the Road to Recovery - by Michael Schindler
The Atlantic salmon was over fished to the point where there was a ban on commercial fishing which is still in effect today.
Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Salmoniformes
Family: Salmonidae
Genus: Salmo
Description: Atlantic salmon generally live in the open waters around the coasts of North America and Greenland. Although when they are still juvenile they live in freshwater rivers and streams. These tend to be shallow water with a medium to fast currents. During this juvenile period they eat insects, krill, little fishes, invertebrates. Once they grow larger they change their diet to Atlantic herring, alewife, rainbow smelt, flatfish, and small Atlantic mackerel. They can live from 4 to 10 years.
Overfishing: Overfishing of Atlantic salmon was a huge problem up until 1998, when an FMP placed a ban on commercial fishing. Although because of other counties still harvesting them, this wasn’t enough to raise their population to a more healthy level, so in 1988 North America along with other North Atlantic countries joined together and formed the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization (NASCO) to help preserve these wonderful creatures of the sea, but this wasn’t enough so in 2000 they were put on the endangered species list. All of these efforts together are slowly paving the way for Atlantic Salmon populations to rise to sustainable levels again.
Citations
http://nefmc.org/salmon/fmp/salmon_original_fmp_oct1987.pdf
http://naturescrusaders.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/spawning-atlantic-salmon-738342-ga.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_salmon
http://www.nero.noaa.gov/nero/hotnews/salmon/FinalATSRPlan.pdf
Common Skate or Blue Skates- By Scott Jackson
Dipturus Batis also known as common skates or by their other common name Blue skates are vertebrates that are part of the chondrichthyes class. These skates are the largest out of any European skates in the world reaching lengths of over 2.5 meters and weighing over 220 pounds. Common skates are characterized by their dark undersurface and lighter top surface with a row of thorns along the tale and having an overall rhombic shape. It is normally located in the Northeastern Atlantic Ocean along the bottom of the continental shelf. The species feeds on many species of bottom dwelling species but often ventures closer to the surface to eat fish such as Herring. This species has a particularly slow reproduction process as adults mature at the age of ten and females can only lay 40 eggs every three years.
Commons skates have been a favorite among fisheries to catch due to their large size making it very easy to make a profit off of fishing these creatures, which has led to a large amount of overfishing of the species decimating its population making it listed as critically endangered in the wild. It is also the commons skates large size that hurts its population in other fisheries as well. Commons skates are often caught as by catch in other fisheries that use bottom-trawling techniques as the skates live on the ocean floors. Also besides adults being caught the smaller and more juvenile of the species are also large enough to be caught on lines and gillnets. Furthermore, these skates are popular among recreational fisherman too to try and catch and while for the most part is catch and release the animals can be injured from being dragged out of the water or by the hooks used to catch them.
However, in recent years there has been action put forth into protecting these species and trying to support the population so that the population numbers can come back up from their dwindling amount. For example Common skate were put on the IUCN Red List in 2000 as well as being placed on the global critically endangered species list in 2006. Also the United Kingdom made the Common skate a Biodiversity Action Plan Species meaning that work is being done to help support populations of the skates and reduce the amount of fishing in areas where skates are commonly. And finally the EU created a law created a total allowable catch law for the skates. Other countries as well have limited the amount of this species that is being caught although it is difficult to exclude this species from the by catch of other fisheries due to the skates large size.
Citations:
http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/39397/0
http://marinebio.org/Oceans/red-list-species.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_skate
http://www.arkive.org/common-skate/dipturus-batis/info.html
http://www.anglersafloat.co.uk/_assets/Paul_Skate_5.jpg
http://www.underseacameras.com/Portals/0/Welsh%20Fish%20Book/MW000394.jpg
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/aquarium/pages/commonskate.html
Dugongs Listed as "Vulnerable to Extinction" Internationally by: Monica Mezger
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Sirenia
Family: Dugongidae
Genus: Dugong
Description: Dugongs,more commonly known as Sea Cows, range in lengths between 2.4m to 4m. They are born in a pale cream color that darkens with age to a deep slate grey. Short hair is sparsley distrubuted over the body, with bristles on the muzzle, while the skin is thick, tough, and smooth. For both females and males sexual maturity is attained as early as 6 years by may be delayed until 17 years. Due to thier large size, dugongs have very few natural predators (other than sharks) and have been known to live for more than 70 years in the wild.
Habitat: Dugongs are found discontinuously in the costal waters of East Africa, from the Red Sea to northernmost South Africa, northeastern India; along the Malay Peninsula; around the northern coast of Australia to New Guinea; and many of the island groups of the South Pacific. Although this may seem vast, the dugong's range was much greater in the past. These waters that the Dugong inhabits are shallow and tropical marine coastal water, mainly confined to sea grass beds. These sea grass beds tend to occur in calm and shallow coastal areas, such as embayment and lagoons. Dugongs although resemble manatees, are more strictly marine seldom entering rivers.
Diet: Dugongs feed on the sea grass of the families Potamogetonaceae and Hydrocharitaceae. They have also been known to occasionally eat algae as well as crabs.
Threats/Reasons for Fishing of Dugongs: They are hunted for meat, oil, hides for leather, and for their bones and teeth; which are made into ivory artifcts and charcoal for sugar refining. Some Asian cultures prize the Dugong for "medicinal purposes." Although commercial hunting is now banned, dugong products from indirect takes are highly valued. Traditional hunting of the species by indigenous peoples of Australia and the western islands of the Torres Strait still continues. Dugongs have been heavily exploited in the Philippines to where they are on the verge of extinction. The species' large size and slow swimming speed makes them easy targets for hunters. One major threat to the Dugongs is drift gillnets because these nets are abandoned and once the Dugong is caught in the net they suffocate to death (due to their lack in ability to hold their breath for a long time). Other threats include: increased boating traffic which leads to not only a disturbance in their typically calm habitat, but potential for boat strikes; and destruction of sea grasses due to dredging, land filling, land reclamation, costal clearing and pollution from sewage and other effluents.
Current Conservation/Management:
The dugong is now listed as "Vulnerable" with the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Dugongs are protected under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999, which lists dugongs as marine and migratory species.
In 2003, in Australia, marine debris was listed as a Key Threatening Process under the EPBC Act. As a result of this, a Threat Abatement Plan is being developed that will build on existing activities to reduce the impact of marine debris on threatened marine species.
Dugongs are internationally listed on Appendix I of the Conservation of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITIES) and on Appendix II of the Convention on Migratory Species (the CMS).
They are also protected under the UAE Federal Law which aims to fully protect the dugongs and other marine life from any commercial and recreational utilization of species within UAE waters.
Sources:
http://www.marinebio.org/species.asp?id=161
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/dugongs-killed768.html#cr
http://www.environment.gov.au/coasts/species/dugongs/index.html
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.edgeofexistence.org/mammals/images/maps/dugong_dugon.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.edgeofexistence.org/mammals/species_info.php%3Fid%3D53&usg=__roc-q0eiy0pj4FSH2Exa5TUsU7o=&h=267&w=350&sz=22&hl=en&start=61&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=nXDSAAbtyxuDhM:&tbnh=92&tbnw=120&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dthreats%2Bto%2Bdugongs%26start%3D54%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26ndsp%3D18%26tbs%3Disch:1
Great White Shark By: Anthony Mieske
Taxonomy:
Kingdom-Animilia
Phylum-Chordata
Class-Chondrichthyes
Order-Elasmobranchii
Family-Selachii
Genus-Carcharodon
Species-Carcharias
Overview: Great White Sharks are found in temperate waters in the world’s oceans. It is an important and not a common predator on the coast of California. Sharks have been around for over 350 million years. Sharks lack real bones and instead cartilage forms a bone like substance for the shark.
Size: The largest Great White recorded was 21 feet long. A 23 foot Great White was claimed to be caught in the Mediterranean, but no one has been able to prove the claim. Scientists have found a massive jaw bone of a Great White that they assume was 50 feet long. Many believe since these sharks are so smart and elusive that there are bigger ones in the ocean and we just haven’t found them yet.
Habitat: Waters off of Central California are a great habitat for these sharks. The Farallon Island wildlife refuge is a main feeding spot for sharks. In the summer the sharks feed off of sea lions on the coast of Oregon or in the Gulf of Alaska.
Food: Sharks start their early eating habitats contain feeding on fish, rays, and other sharks. After they grow and mature they begin to feeding on large marine mammals and other large carcasses. Their first marine mammal they feed on is a harbor seal, but after growing they begin to feed on large sea lions and elephant seals.
Threats: Some threats include over fishing, finning, and methods of commercial fisherman. Tens of millions of sharks are being caught every year. Also Great Whites grow very slowly and don’t produce as many offspring as other species can in the amount of time they are alive. This causes the over exploitation to impact numbers so bad because they can’t produce as fast as they are being exploited.
Acts: In 1992, the white shark was placed on the protected species list in the state of California, and is legally protected from unlawful killing or exploitation. The original bill was supported by scientists and fishing organizations, surfing clubs and diving groups, private citizens and an array of government organizations.
References:
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/sharks/classification/Taxonomy.shtml
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/vertebrates/Doug/shark.html
http://www.extremescience.com/zoom/index.php/life-in-the-deep-ocean/62-great-white-shark
http://www.shark-tracker.com/en/Great-White-Shark/Threats/index.php
Fin whales: hunted and endangered by Allison Long
Taxonomy:
Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Cetacea
Family: Balaenopteridae
Genus: Balaenoptera
Species: physalus
Overview:
Fin whales are one of the largest animals on Earth, reaching sizes of up to 27 meters long. They have been extensively hunted for their oil and baleen. Currently, they are endangered and are still hunted by Finland and Japan despite being protected by international law.Habitats:
Fin whales live in the North Atlantic, North Pacific and Antarctic oceans. They are a migratory species, although their migratory patterns are poorly understood.Diets:
Fin whales, like other baleen whales, eat krill and small organisms. They do not have teeth, instead they have fibrous keratin plates that act as a sieve. To eat, the animal takes a large mouthful of seawater and uses its tongue to push out the fluid between the baleen plates. They swallow the krill and whatever else is left behind.Threats:
Hunting and harvesting for their baleen and blubber for oil is their major threat, and has been very detrimental to their population. They have been hunted for a long time, and some southern populations are estimated to be less than 1% of their numbers in the early 1900s. Even though they are protected by law, special permits for natives in Greenland allow some subsistence hunting. Iceland and Japan also harvest a few fin whales each year.Although not intentional, collisions with boats are also a threat to these whales, with a few deaths being reported due to boats. This is considered a major concern over the continental shelf.
Another danger to baleen whales is global climate change. These animals depend heavily on krill and small marine animals, whose populations can dramatically shift with changing water conditions such as temperature and salinity.
Conservation Acts:
Fin whales are protected under the international whaling commission laws. Their hunting is prohibited with some exceptions, such as aboriginal subsistence hunting by Greenland. Recent legal action in 2007 by The Humane Society of the United States and Ocean Conservancy has led to planned revisions of the laws and protections added, regarding commercial fishing nets and danger to the whales as by-catch or other damages by equipment.Citations:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fin_whale
http://www.hsus.org/marine_mammals/marine_mammals_news/whale_lawsuit_0707.html
http://www.defenders.org/wildlife_and_habitat/wildlife/whale.php#
http://iwcoffice.org/conservation/lives.htm#fin
Gulf of Mane Atlantic Salmon are Endangered by Alexander Sherer
Taxonomy:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Osteichthyes
Family: Salmonidae
Genus: Salmo
Species: Salar
Overview:
These salmon have a very intricate life history that consists of spawning, juvenile rearing in rivers, as well as extensive feeding migrations in the sea. Due to this system they have a couple distinct phases that can be seen in specific changes behavior, physiology, and habitat requirements.
Size:
Atlantic Sea Salmon have an average size of 28 to 30 inches and can weigh from 8 to 12 pounds after spending two years in the sea. In rare cases, sometimes the adults can weigh up to 30 pounds.
Habitat:
Atlantic Sea Salmon are an anadromous fish, which means that they spend about 3 years in fresh water. Then they migrate to the sea where they spend roughly another 3 years. After that, they go back to the river to spawn. The perfect spawning habitat consists of gravel/rubble in placed with running water. The eggs usually hatch around March or April.
Diets:
Juvenile salmon tend to eat invertebrates, but as they grow older and mature they can consume small fishes. They can eat caddisflies, blackflies, mayflies, and stoneflies. In adulthood they can eat arctic squid, sand eels, arctic shrimp, amphipods, and even herring sometimes.
Threats:
The water can become acified which can lower the survival rate for juvenile fish. Avian predation (birds eating them). Changing land use practices, climate change, degradation of water quality, hatchery programs, and incidental capture, competitive species, loss of habitat complexity and connectivity, poaching of adults, sedimentation and water extraction.
Conservation Acts:
The Federal Recovery Plan and The Mane Conservation Plan were made in order to reduce potential impacts to Atlantic Sea Salmon from recreational fishing, agriculture, aquaculture, and forestry. In June of 2009 the USFWS made a final rule to list the expanded Gulf of Mane DPS.
Citations:
http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2009/webb_laur/images/brightsalmon.jpg
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/fish/atlanticsalmon.htm#more
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_salmon#Diethttp://naturescrusaders.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/spawning-atlantic-salmon-738342-ga.jpghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKo520kgRUU
Endangered Hawaiian Monk Seals Fighting for Survival, By Bill Nguyen
Taxonomy:
Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Phocidae
Genus: Monachus
Species: M. Schauinslandi
Overview:
The Hawaiian Monk Seals are also known as "Ilio-holo-i-ka-uaua" by native Hawaiians which means "dog that runs in rough waters". The Monk Seals as pups have a black coat and are covered with short fuzzy hair, as the Monk Seals grow into adults their once black coats weather into a gray-silver coat. The life expectancy of the Monk Seals averages from about 25 to 30 years. Unlike other species of seals which often collect in large colonies, Monk Seals are known for being solitary.Size:
Males can grow to lengths of nearly 7 feet and weigh as much as 300-400 lbs.Females tend to be larger, growing to lengths of nearly 8 feet and weigh as much as 400-600 lbs.
Habitats:
The Hawaiian Monk Seal or course can be found in Hawaii, they tend reside near the northwestern islands because they are the most remote. They spend much of their time on damp sand basking in the sun to keep cool and also to conserve energy between hunts.Diets:
The Monk Seal's diet consist of a variety of foods, such as crustaceans, fish, lobsters, eels, and octopuses. All in which can be found near shallow reefs, in which they use as their hunting grounds.Threats:
In the 1800's, commercial sealing was thought to have drove Hawaiian Monk Seal populations into extinction. Whalers in the past had hunted the Monk Seals for meat, oil, and precious coats they provided. Since reappearing the Monk Seals are still fighting for survival as they try to evade their natural predators of Tiger Sharks. The Monk Seal populations are also dwindling from human disturbances such as overfishing of lobster (a food source), pollution, and the disturbance of female pregnant Monk Seals. The Monk Seals current population size is estimated to be close to 1000 in the wild and without assistance could finally enter extinction.Conservation Acts:
Once reappearing after being thought to be extinct, the Hawaiian Monk Seal was immediately placed on the Endangered Species List, and therefore are protected under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Thus, making it illegal to harass, kill, or capture the Hawaiian Monk Seal. To further raise awareness for the species plight, on June 11, 2008 the Hawaiian Monk Seal was declared the state's official State Mammal by Lieutenant Governor James Aiona. Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument located near the northwestern Hawaiian Islands, encompasses 140,000 square miles and was created on June 15, 2006 by George W. Bush in the hope to help endangered species populations of sea turtles and the Monk Seal grow by protecting against human disturbances. They are hoping the sanctuary will also help by allowing populations of lobster to grow back, thus allowing Monk Seal an alternative food source other than fish. Other efforts in August 2007 have been made to help the Monk Seal recover. Calling it the Hawaiian Monk Seal Recovery Plan, through volunteer groups they intend to reduce human interaction on Main Hawaiian Island beaches and with recreational fishers. They also intend to facilitate and monitor the Monk Seal pupping events to ensure that nothing disturbs the event.Citations:
http://www.fpir.noaa.gov/PRD/prd_hawaiian_monk_seal.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaiian_Monk_Seal
http://www.earthsendangered.com/profile.asp?mp=1&ID=7&sp=828
http://thenationalevil.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/monk-seal.jpg
Endangered Black Abalone by Christopher Samoray
Taxonomy:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Archaeogastropoda
Family: Haliotidae
Genus: Haliotis
Species: cracherodii
Species Habitat and Characteristics:
The black abalone can withstand extreme variation in environmental conditions such as temperature, salinity, moisture, and wave action. The resistance to these conditions allows for black abalone to range from about Point Arena in northern California to Bahia Tortugas and Isla Guadalupe, Mexico. Black abalone are rare north of San Francisco and south of Punta Eugenia. Within these areas, black abalone can be found in rocky intertidal and subtidal habitats. They tend to occur in areas of moderate to high surf. When immersed, and during night-time, however, this species has been observed using its muscular foot to move freely over rock surfaces. During low tides, black abalone conceal themselves by wedging into crevices, cracks, and holes in rocks of near shore areas.Black abalone are herbivores that feeding primarily on drift algae and several different species of kelp. It has a smooth shell that is black or slate blue on the outside and pearly white on the inside. The mantle and foot are black as well. Five to nine open flush pores (respiratory pores) can be found on the left side of the shell and spiral growth lines are evident on the posterior. It has tentacles that surround the foot and extend out of the shell which sense food and predators.
Species Reproduction:
Black abalone exhibit external fertilization, which is similar to many corals. Separate sexes broadcast spawn their eggs and sperm into the water, primarily during the summer months. After fertilization, the eggs develop into free swimming larva and eventually “settle.” Maturity is reached at about 1.5 inches (4 cm) length or 3 years. Adults attain a maximum shell length of approximately 8 inches (20 cm), but are typically 4 to 6 inches (10-14 cm) long and can live from 20 to 30 years.Threats and Contributing Factors to Population Declines:
One reason there have been declines in black abalone populations can be attributed to overfishing. Although black abalone have been a major sought after marine resource in commercial and recreational fishing in California since the mid-1800s, significant population declines were not observed until the late 1970s. Approximately 868 metric tons of black abalone were being harvested in 1973, which fell to basically zero in the mid 1990s.Disease is another contributing factor to black abalone declines. Withering syndrome is a disease that struck black abalone populations in the northern Channel Islands in 1985. The disease is caused by a Rickettsia-like prokaryote. This disease attacks the lining of the digestive track and obstructs the production of digestive enzymes. Abalone with withering syndrome are unable to properly digest their food and appear to use the protein in the foot muscle as an energy source. The disease appears to have had the largest effect and be most prevalent in the southern portion of black abalone range (South of Point Conception, California). Areas that have warmer water temperatures have been impacted the most by disease.
Other factors responsible for the decline of black abalone are illegal harvest, jewelry production, habitat destruction, coastal development, climate change, rising sea levels, thermal discharge of power plants, ocean acidification, natural predation, and competition for space with purple (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) and red (S. franciscanus) sea urchins.
Conservation Efforts:
Significant conservation efforts have been made in the United States and Mexico. In California, all abalone fisheries are managed by the California Department of Fish and Game. The department restricts the size of abalones caught, and the season in which harvesting can take place. The state of California has also implemented marine protected areas and commercial and recreational fishery closures. Furthermore, California adopted an Abalone Recovery Management Plan in 2005. Other projects monitor the species status, enhance reproduction, decrease illegal harvest, and investigation of withering disease. In Mexico, there is a total allowable catch limit for black abalones. In an attempt to develop a restocking program, an American-Mexican fishery authority alliance has been proposed.On June 23, 1999, the black abalone was added to NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) Candidate Species list. NMFS initiated an informal ESA (Endangered Species Act) status review of black abalone on July 15, 2003, and formally announced initiation of a status review on October 17, 2006. On December 21, 2006, the Center for Biological Diversity formally petitioned NMFS to list the black abalone as threatened or endangered under the ESA. Soon after the petition, the NMFS listed black abalone as endangered under the ESA on January 14, 2009. The species still does not have a protected habitat however, and on March 23, 2010, the Center for Biological Diversity sued the Obama administration for “failing to designate critical habitat for the endangered black abalone.”
Recommended Protective Actions:
· Support on-going efforts by state and federal management agencies to manage and restore the black abalone throughout its range· Minimize or eliminate sources of thermal pollution near black abalone populations
· Raise public awareness
· Prevent illegal harvest of black abalone from rocky intertidal habitats
· Reduce damage to suitable abalone habitat from coastal development or pollution.
· Reduce loss of abalone food resources
Citations:
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/invertebrates/blackabalone.htmhttp://www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/invertebrates/black_abalone/index.html
http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2010/black-abalone-03-23-2010.html
http://www.sanctuarysimon.org/monterey/sections/specialSpecies/black_abalone.php#actions
http://www.arkive.org/black-abalone/haliotis-cracherodii/threats-and-conservation.html
http://www.blackabalone.com/abalone-jewelry.html
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/news/news09/2009060201.asp
The Beluga Whale- One of the Many Endangered Species- By: Lauren Bailey
Taxonomy:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Cetacea
Family: Monodontidae
Genus: Delphinapterus
Species: leucas
Overview:
The Beluga whale, also known as the white whale, is a small toothed whale that is white as an adult. Their bodies are stout and have small, blunt heads with a small beak, tiny eyes, thick layers of blubber, and a rounded melon. The name beluga means “white one” in Russian, their genus, Delphinapterus, means “whale without fins”, and then the species, leucas, means white. Beluga whales can live upwards from 25-30 years. And their natural predators are killer whales and Polar bears.
Size:
Adult beluga whates can grow to about 15 feet (4.6 m) long on average, and weighing up to about 2,200 pounds (1500kg). Males tend to be larger then the females.
Diet and Teeth:
Belugas are toothed whales with 34 teeth. Their teeth are not designed for chewing, but for grabbing and tearing prey (swallowing whole). They have a varied diet that consists of fish, squid, various crustaceans, octopi, and worms. Beluga whales are characterized as both benthic( bottom) and pelagic (oceanic) feeders.
Social Groups:
Beluga whales are known to be very social animals and congregate in pods, also known as social groups, of 2-25 whales. Relations between mothers and their calves are very strong. Pods will hunt and migrate together, and sometimes during migrations, several pods may join together, forming groups of 200-10,00 belugas.
Habitat:
Beluga whales inhabit the Arctic and Subarctic regions of Russian, Greenland, and North America. They inhabit the Arctic Ocean and its adjoining seas, including the Sea of Okhotsk, the Bering Sea, the Gulf of Alaska, the Beaufort Sea, Baffin Bay, Hudson Bay, and the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Major Threats:
Beluga whales have been hunted for centuries by ingenious Arctic peoples for their meat, rich blubber, and their skin which can be used as a type of leather once dried. Over the years, commercial hunting of belugas by Europeans and Americans caused a massive drop in the population to the point where they have been wiped out in some regions. Also industrial run-off has caused high levels of toxic chemicals and heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and cadmium into the water. Another major threats of the belugas is diseases such as tumors, heart disease, urogenital disorders, and respiratory disorders due to the toxic contaminations in their habitats.
For some reason, these pollutants affect belugas more than other species of cetacean (probably due to diet variation), getting into their
Other reasons include: Oil exploration, dredging, hydroelectric plants, and shipping accidents.
Conservation Efforts:
Since the Beluga whales have been put on the endangered list, they are being protected by many conservation groups around the world. Groups such as NMPS, MMPA, and the Alaskan government have set harvest limits and other requirements to ensure conservation of the species.
Clean ups of the water are also being attempted, but so far have not proven successful. Population numbers are still declining and they are becoming more endangered.
Citations:
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/mammals/cetaceans/belugawhale.htmhttp://www.happyhippie.com/articles/endanagered-beluga-whales.html
http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=159
http://www.seaworld.org/infobooks/beluga/bedeath.html
Horseshoecrab.org
Great Taste, But Greatly Endangered- Chilean Sea Bass
By: Peter KulbabaChilean Sea Bass is part of the phylum Chordata. Chilean Sea Bass is actually a trade name used to make the fish more appealing. The true name of the fish is Patagonia Toothfish (sometimes called Patagonsky klykach). It used to be unpopular to eat, but in the 90's it was sought after greatly for its meat. The fish's flesh is very rich in oils, making for a tasty dinner that never quite seems to overcook. The fish resides in Antarctic waters and the United States is the largest importer of Chilean Sea Bass (it imports close to half of the legal catch). The typical weight for this toothfish is about twenty pounds. There is some information that suggests this species is normally high in mercury. They feed on squid, smaller fish, and prawns. Their main predators are sperm whales, elephant seals, and colossal squid.
The Chilean Sea Bass harvest is dominated by illegal fishing. The species is not endangered, but the illegal nature of the harvest makes it difficult to keep under control. The harvest from illegal fishing is about twice that of the legal harvest each year. Some actions have been taken to eliminate pirate fishing including patrols keeping an eye on the waters, but those who illegally fish have just moved to more distant areas to continue the trade. The illicit fishing is influenced largely by the high prices that the fish is sold at (more than ten dollars a pound). Argentina, France, and Chile are three of the countries that regularly fish for the toothfish. If legal limits could be enforced more efficiently there wouldn't be a problem, but the doubled illegal harvests make this fish approaching endangerment. The huge demand for the fish by consumers also encourage the beyond necessary loads caught.
To combat the problem, consumers are strongly encouraged to ask about the legality of the fish catch to place an emphasis on how consumers are consider illegal fishing unacceptable. Restaurants also practice only buying the fish if proper documentation is shown, indicating the fair nature of the catch. The National Environmental Trust has enacted a campaign to get restaurants to stop serving Chilean Sea Bass under the slogan "Take a pass on Chilean Sea Bass." Many restaurants have united to stop serving this menu item until populations recover. There is also a wine being produced called Chilean Sea Bass Chardonnay. The wine company donates a portion of its proceeds to enforcement of legal fishing and management of the fish so that the population may increase and the fish can be served again. Fanatics of the fish can unite under this cause to support the species while indulging themselves.
http://www.oceantrust.org/news.htm
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/trade/chile.pdf
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/11/061128-sea-bass_2.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patagonian_toothfish
Deadliest Catch - The Real Deal for Alaskan King Crabs
Alaskan King Crabs (AKC) attained world popularity through the television series "Deadliest Catch". They are native to the Alaskan waters where they are fished heavily during the winter season between the months of October through January, and where storms frequent the area day in and day out. For the Alaskan King Crab, overfishing has literally lead to a deadly catch for the species.
Alaskan King Crab meat is known to be a delicacy which in the past has been bought and sold for a high price. At the peak of the crabbing industry in 1980, AKC fishermen brought in nearly 200 million pounds of crab. However, just 3 short years later the population had dropped by 60%. This sudden decrease in AKC’s was attributed to warming water temperatures, increased fish predation, and especially overfishing. After 2005 strict regulations became enforced such as the Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) system vs. derby fishing and the use of marine preserves in order to revive the population and ensure future fisheries. The fleet of AKC boats went from 250 to just 89 due to the IFQ system, resulting in quite a few crew without boats. Foreign crabbers hailing from Russia have negated some of these rules by catching AKC’s and exporting them on the black market, thus leading to a continued drop in market price. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaskan_king_crab_fishing
NOAA has instituted a program called the Fishing Capacity Reduction Program which gives the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) the ability to close areas or suspend fishing practices if the crab population levels are endangered. The NMFS may buy back vessels or fishing license in order to ensure compliment with the rules. http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/mb/financial_services/buyback.htm
There have also been numerous rebuilding plans that have been put into effect for AKC’s where certain areas are zoned as off limits for bottom trawling in order that the biomass of AKC’s would increase. These plans can be found on NOAA’s website and by following this link - http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/sustainablefisheries/crab/.
- Candace Gray
Horseshoe crabs are being over-harvested to be used as bait by Erin Oswald
Horseshoe crabs have been roaming the Earth for over 540 million years. They are truly "living fossils." Horseshoe crabs are not technically crabs but arthropods, closely related to arachnids. There are four species of horseshoe crabs but only Limulus polyphemus (the Atlantic horseshoe crab) will be discussed. They are most commonly found along the Gulf Coast and the Northern Atlantic coast of North America. Many gather along the Delaware Bay shores in early summer to spawn.
Harvesting and habitat destruction have caused a decline in horseshoe crab population over the past twenty years. It wasn't until the sharp decline of another species caused people to start to take notice of the horseshoe crab's plight. The red knot bird is a migratory bird that travels from the most southern tip of South American to the Arctic tundra every year in order to breed. It makes a stop on the shores of the Delaware Bay to fill up on horseshoe crab eggs to sustain itself for the rest of its trip. Birders noticed a sharp drop in their decline and soon it was discovered that it correlated directly with a drop in the horseshoe crab's population. Horseshoe crabs were being over-harvested for their use as bait for conch and eel. Not only do birds rely on horseshoe crab eggs for nourishment, but humans rely on them as well for pharmaceutical purposes. The horseshoe crab's blue blood is used as a bacterial testing agent for many drugs. It clots on contact with bacterial endotoxins. (The process by which the blood is collected is fairly noninvasive and most horseshoe crabs live and are returned to their homes afterwards.)
Many steps have been taken to ensure the livelihood of Limulus polyphemus in recent years. The Ecological Research and Development Group (ERDG) was formed in order to preserve the horseshoe crabs. Their founder, Gary Gauvry invented a mesh bait bag that allowed fishermen to cut down on their use of bait by 50%. The ERDG also created a campaign called "Just Flip 'Em" in order to get beach-goers to flip over horseshoes crabs that get stuck on their back. Each year about 10% of the spawning population die from being stranded on their backs. Recently, horseshoe crabs harvesting was banned in New Jersey on March 25, 2008. This came came into law heavily based on the extreme drop in population of the Red Knots. It was determined that without extreme measures these birds were in serious danger.
Please visit the following site for more information and things you can do to help Limulus polyphemus.
**Horseshoecrab.org**
**Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission**
A great PBS special showing the unique, awesome relationship between horseshoe crabs and Red Knot birds!
**A Tale of Two Species**
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, By Anthony VanWoerkom
This is one of the most prized fish, and is endangered due to overfishing.
Native to both the western and eastern Atlantic Ocean, as well as the Mediterranean Sea.
They are highly prized for sashimi (Japanese dish), which is the main cause of overfishing. In 2009 the Bluefin stocks in the Eastern Atlantic were down by 72% and 82% in the Western Atlantic. Fisherman use purse seine, assorted hook-and-line, and most important long lining. They are popular in U.S., Canada, Spain, France, and Italy. This is a $7.2 Billion industry. They are slow to mature and too many young are caught before they are able to reproduce.
The Endangered Species Act Protection is going to have the western North Atlantic Bluefin stock designated as a threatened species and protected. There is also the Atlantic Bluefin Project. The Tuna that are caught get tagged and released for further research of their behaviors so we can possibly save them in the future.
The Obama Administration announced on March 4, 2010 that it would support a proposed ban on international trade of the Atlantic bluefin tuna at the upcoming meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in Doha, Qatar. Hopefully this will slow some of the demand for this prized fish.
Hector's Dolphin
Bycatch of Hector's dolphin has led it to the endangered species list by Tricia PhelpsCephalorhynchus hectori, One of the world's smallest dolphins
The Hector's dolphin is found only on the south island of New Zealand. There is a subspecies called Maui's dolphin that resides by the northern island. Their habitat consists of coastal waters within 5 nautical miles of shore. They can grow up to 50 kilograms in weight and 1.4 meters in length. A unique feature of the Hector's dolphin is it's rounded black dorsal fin. The dolphin's diet consists of catching squid and fish in a group.
Fishing Nets
The main reason this small population of dolphins is being depleted is because of by-catch in fishing nets. Hector's dolphins have declined from 26,000 in the 1970s to 7,000 presently. Set nets are used by commercial fishermen and also for recreational fishing. The figure on the left shows that 70% of all Hector's dolphin's deaths have been attributed to set nets. Some of them also get caught in trawling nets. Other threats are pollution including PCB's and has led to decline in their reproduction rate. Habitat loss for shipping centers and boat disturbance has also led to the dolphins decline.
C
What is being done to save them?
In order to halt dolphin deaths, a nationwide ban on nets would almost eliminate the problem. There has already been protection by closing some of the dolphin's range to fishing and by setting an allowable fishing related mortality on the east coast of southern New Zealand. The World Wildlife Fund advocates of New Zealand increased the Hector's dolphin's protection and conservation through the government already. The WWF also supports a community and school awareness program for their protection. The New England Aquarium has also been doing research about Hector's dolphin's behavior and how they interact with their environment or fishing gear. They also do population assessments. The New England Aquarium has also developed dolphin alarms from being entangled in fishing nets.Citations
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/hectors-deaths.html#crhttp://www.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/cetaceans/about/hectors_dolphin/
http://www.neaq.org/conservation_and_research/projects/endangered_species_habitats/hectors_dolphins/index.php
Loggerhead Sea turtles. By Christina Kennedy
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.seapics.com/assets/pictures/003718-450-loggerhead-sea-turtle.jpg&imgrefurl=http://seapics.com/gallery/Reptilia/Testudines/Cryptodira/Chelonioidea/Cheloniidae/loggerhead-sea-turtle.html&usg=__mXkpxZ3rMIEO57q6fa9lvhpjGAw=&h=300&w=450&sz=45&hl=en&start=7&itbs=1&tbnid=aEMn66aO2ssy7M:&tbnh=85&tbnw=127&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dloggerhead%2Bsea%2Bturtle%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1
Loggerhead sea turtles are vertebrates of the class reptilia. They get their name from their relatively large head, which contains a powerful
jaw which allows them to feed on hard-shelled prey, such as conch. Loggerheads have a heart shaped top shell that is reddish-brown the
underside is yellow or bottom shell is yellow their flippers and neck also resemble this pattern. Loggerheads live in three different habitats through out there lives on land in the ocean and near shore. These sea turtles are circumglobal, they can be found in the
tropical and temperate regions of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans, and of all the sea turtles in the US the Loggerhead is the
most abundant.
Though they face threats in both the water and in nesting areas the major threat to the Loggerheads is incidental catch or bycatch, these turtles are captured in many types of fishing gear. Fishing gear primarily in long lines and gillnets, other gear that have caused a decline in Loggerhead populations include trawls, traps, pots, and dredges. Though hunting of sea turtles is out lawed in most places it still occurs such as in the Bahamas, Cuba, and Mexico, this is a serious and continuing problem and is slowing the recovery of the Loggerhead.
The good news Loggerhead sea turtles are protected under the ESA or Endangered Species Act throughout its range. The issue with this sea turtle is because it is highly migratory it is difficult to manage, conservation efforts in one country could be ruined by another. None the less Loggerheads are protected by many international treaties and agreements just to name a few CITES which prohibits the trade of this species and the IAC which is the only binding international treaty exclusively for marine turtles and promotes the protection, conservation, and recovery of sea turtles and their habitats. Shrimp trawlers are also required by law to include TED's which are turtle excluder devices, the US will also not import shrimp that was harvested in a way that could be harmful to sea turtles. Pictured below is a turtle escaping a trawling net equipped with a TED.
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/turtles/loggerhead.htm
Dolphins are being destroyed by huge numbers in Japan, by Somers Smott
Dolphins are a part of the class Mammalia and order Cetacea, meaning whales and dolphins. In Japan, some of the main dolphins that are hunted include striped dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, pantropical spotted dolphins and Risso’s dolphins. For the sake of this report, the focus will be bottlenose dolphins. Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) inhabit almost every ocean except polar waters. They weigh up to 150-200 kilograms, and grow in length to up to 175-400 centimeters, with males being the largest. Females mature in age around 5-12 years, and males mature in age around 9-13 years.
In Taiji, Japan, entire schools of dolphins are chased and driven into a hidden cove. Once trapped inside the cove, the fishermen kill the dolphins, slashing their throats with knives or stabbing them with spears. This large scale dolphin kill, the largest in the world, happens for six months out of every year. Besides killing these creatures, the fishermen capture a select few and ship them out to organizations for dolphin shows. Besides being unfathomable and immoral, this is a huge problem because the Japanese people admit they kill for “pest control”. Even though no excuse would ever back up these murders, “pest control” is one that could definitely not pass as legitimate. The meat collected inhumanely from these dolphins is also proven to have high amounts of mercury in it, and the government in Japan still serves the meat to school lunchrooms all over their country. Most of the locals do not know about these killings, and they definitely have no idea their children are eating polluted meat.
The Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 states that dolphins can only be captured with a special permit, but these hunters have avoided this by getting a permit from their government. The Save Japan Dolphins campaign already has a few programs getting worked out in order to end this slaughter. If the fishermen decide to stop killing, the campaign will help with money in the transition period between moving from dolphins to abundant fish or crabs. With the promise of the end of the slaughter, Taiji, with its beautiful sights, can become an area of eco-tourism, which the campaign will internationally support and promote. The campaign also has offered to help the fishermen learn how to fish sustainably, so their industries do not diminish as quickly.
Citations
http://www.savejapandolphins.org
http://www.marinebio.com/species.asp?id=33
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/whales/species/Bottledolphin.shtml
Sea Bird numbers are declining by Stephen Jamrog
Taxonomy: (common sea gull)
Kingdom - Animalia
Phylum - Chordata
Class - Aves
Order - Charadriiformes
Suborder - Lari
Family - Laridae
Overview
Sea birds have been an important presence to humans in marine environments. They have provided food, and direction to land, and fishing stocks, for sailors over history. Sea birds do not actually live in the water, but are adapted to living in marine environments. Most sea birds have webbed feet to help them when swimming or diving in the water, as well as a large number of salt glands to take care of the salt they ingest when they drink and eat. Sea birds tend to live longer, and invest more time in their young than other birds but breed later and have less young that most birds as well. They can live in colonies which can be anywhere from dozens to millions.
Threats
Sea birds have been hunted, and their eggs collected, for hundreds of years and has led to the decline and extinction of some species. Introduced species, such as feral cats, are also a threat to sea birds because of the fact that many sea birds have lost predator defense mechanisms due to the lack of predators. Toxins and pollutants are also dangerous. Until DDT was banned, it was very harmful to sea birds, as well as oil spills. Long line fishing techniques have also been very harmful to sea birds. Sea birds swoop in for fish that are long line fishing vessels and can be caught in the line as well, resulting in fatality by drowning. Birds are also in danger of eating fish heads, that still contain fishing hooks, which choke the birds.
Managment
As early as 1903, President Teddy Roosevelt started movements to protect sea birds by creating certain wildlife refuges to protect sea bird colonies. Island restoration techniques are also being used to get rid of pollutants and introduced species, and both have created a rise in the population of sea bird species near extinction, and a return of some already extinct species. New long line fishing requirements are also being created for the protection of sea birds. These new techniques include setting the lines at night, dying the bait blue, and setting the bait underwater has greatly reduced the amount of seabird mortalities by long line fishing.
Citations
http://www.marinebio.org/Oceans/threatened-endangered-species.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_bird
http://50birds.com/uploads/RobAmy/2004-09-16_195441_seagull3.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_gull
Recovering the Bowhead Whale by Sarah Johnson
Overview
The bowhead whale resides only at high latitudes and migrate seasonally between the arctic and subartic waters. They have a bow-shaped head that can make be up to 40% of its body and allows them to break ice to get oxygen. The bowheads' blubber can get up to 2 feet thick (thicker than any other whale) keeping them warm in such frigid water. These whales also have the largest baleen plates of any whale which allow them to filter mass amounts food such as zooplankton and krill. Bowheads generally travel alone or in small pods through the shallow arctic waters and have excellent sight as well as hearing.Major Threats
The greatest threat to the bowhead whale once was commercial exploitation but currently is subsistence hunting, entanglement in fishing lines, contaminants in the waters, and noises made by humans such as offshore drilling sites. Around 1840 commercial exploitation was booming targeting the bowhead whales because off their massive size and their inability to move quickly. The whales were used for oil, baleen (used in corsets, skirt hoops, watch springs and for fishing rods), food, and for their blubber. The population dropped from 30,000-50,000 to around 3,000 in the 1920s. Around 1859, because the price for oil from whales decreased significantly, bowheads were killed, the baleen was taken and then the rest of the whale was simply discarded.Management
The bowhead whales have been under various protective laws since the 1931 League of Nations Convention. Under the Endangered Species Conservation Act (ESCA) of 1969, commercial whaling was ended in the United States. On a global scale, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) continued the prohibition of commercial whaling among the signatory countries of the League of Nations Convention in 1964. The IWC completely banned the subsistence hunting of the bowhead whale in 1977 in an attempt to promote an increase in the population but soon after the United States requested that rather than completely banning subsistence hunting quotas be put in place. Currently, the bowhead whale is endangered and only one out of five of its populations is not threatened but its stocks are being monitored and calf-rearing habitats are being identified in an effort to keep the population (between 7,000 and 10,000 presently) growing.Sources
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/mammals/cetaceans/bowheadwhale.htmhttp://www.acsonline.org/factpack/bowhead.htm
http://www.marinebio.com/species.asp?id=278
http://www.whale-watching-alaska.com/whale/bowheadwhalesalaska.html
Protecting the Beluga Whale and Revitalizing Populations
by: Danny Kulas
Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Cetacea
Family: Monodontidae
Genus: Delphinapterus
Species: leucas
Species Description
Unlike other cetaceans, belugas can move their head up, down, and side to side, because their cervical vertebrae are not fused. This feature appears to be an adaptation to maneuvering and catching prey in muddy or ice-covered areas.
Beluga whales are covered with a thick layer of blubber that accounts for as much as 40 percent of their body mass. This fat provides thermal protection and stores energy. Belugas are unique among cetaceans in that they shed their outer layer of skin, or molt, each summer around July. They concentrate in shallow water where there is coarse gravel to rub against. The rubbing action helps remove the top layer of old yellow skin and reveal the new skin underneath.
Beluga whales mate in the spring, usually in March or April, in small bays and estuaries. Beluga calves nurse for at least 12 to 18 months, until their teeth emerge, at which point they supplement their diets with shrimp and small fishes. Their lifespan is thought to be about 35-50 years.
Belugas are extremely social animals that typically migrate, hunt, and interact together in groups of 10 to several hundred. They are known as the "canaries of the sea," because they produce a vast repertoire of sounds
Habitat
Beluga whales are generally found in shallow coastal waters, often in water barely deep enough to cover their bodies, but have also been seen in deep waters. They seem well adapted to both a cold ocean habitat and a warmer freshwater habitat. Belugas can be found swimming among icebergs and ice floes in the waters of the Arctic and subarctic, where water temperatures may be as low as 32° F (0° C). They can also be found in estuaries and river basins.
In April of 2009 the Cook Inlet of Alaska was deemed a critical habitat for Beluga Whales.
Beluga Whale Range Map
Distribution
Beluga whales are circumpolar in distribution. Beluga whales inhabit the Arctic and subarctic regions of Russia, Greenland, and North America. They inhabit the Arctic Ocean and its adjoining seas, including the Sea of Okhotsk, the Bering Sea, the Gulf of Alaska, the Beaufort Sea, Baffin Bay, Hudson Bay, and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. During certain times of the year, belugas may also be found in large rivers, such as the Yukon, as they seem to be unaffected by salinity changes.
Population Trends
Five distinct stocks of beluga whales occur in the United States, all in Alaska:
- Cook Inlet
- Bristol Bay
- Eastern Bering Sea
- Eastern Chukchi Sea
- Beaufort Sea
All 4 of the other stocks are considered stable or have not exhibited a decreasing trend in numbers. Population size estimates from the most recent [[pr/sars/species.htm|Stock Assessment Reports]] are (approximately):- Bristol Bay: 1,600 individuals
- Eastern Bering Sea: 18,000 individuals
- Eastern Chukchi Sea: 3,700 individuals,
- Beaufort Sea: 40,000 individuals
ThreatsBelugas are the only cetacean with skin thick enough to be used as leather when tanned. For this and other reasons they have been harvested over the years. Human-caused mortality, primarily legal subsistence harvest by Alaska Natives, has been the most significant source of mortality of this species during recent times. Subsistence harvest is the only factor that can be identified as influencing the decline of the Cook Inlet population from 1994 to 1998 when 67 whales per year were harvested, prompting the "depleted" designation under the MMPA. The lack of recovery of the population after these harvests were curtailed was a factor that contributed to the recent ESA listing. Moreover, Cook Inlet is highly developed, and human activity is expected to increase in the future. Potential human-caused threats to this population include shipping, oil and gas production and transport, indirect and direct adverse effects from commercial fishing gear (e.g., gillnets) and operations, pollution, habitat destruction and alteration, harassment due to increasing commerce and recreation in Cook Inlet, and noise.
The other 4 stocks have levels of subsistence harvest that do not threaten their survival, and hence those stocks are not considered "strategic" stocks under the MMPA.
Bycatch in various commercial fisheries sometimes occurs but does not appear to be a threat to any of the stocks.
Natural threats from predation are also potentially of concern. Natural predators of belugas are polar bears and killer whales. Predation by killer whales is estimated at least 1 animal per year. According to some population models, this is just below a level that would lead to population declines. Beluga whales trapped by ice are often susceptible to predation by polar bears, starvation, and suffocation. Strandings are common in this population and seem to result from avoidance of killer whales plus other unknown causes. The low reproductive rate of beluga whales is also a concern.
Conservation Efforts
NMFS developed a [[pr/pdfs/species/belugawhale_conservationplan.pdf|conservation plan]] [pdf] under the MMPA that details many proposed and current conservation actions. The plan sets a goal of a minimum population of 780 animals before NMFS would no longer consider this stock depleted. Achievement of this goal is expected to take a minimum of 30 years. Management of the Alaskan Native subsistence fishery in Cook Inlet occurs through a Cooperative Agreement between NMFS and the Cook Inlet Marine Mammal Council. A separate co-management agreement is in place for the native subsistence fishery for the other 4 stocks. These groups set harvest limits and other requirements to ensure conservation of the species.
Regulatory Overview
On March 3, 1999, NMFS received two petitions to list the Cook Inlet population of beluga whales as endangered under the ESA. The petitioners requested that we promulgate an emergency listing under section 4(b)(7) of the ESA, designate critical habitat for Cook Inlet beluga whales, and take immediate action to implement rulemaking to regulate the harvest of these whales.
In May 2000, NMFS designated Cook Inlet beluga whales as depleted under the[[pr/laws/mmpa/|Marine Mammal Protection Act]]. However, at that time, the agency determined that the Cook Inlet beluga whale DPS was not threatened or endangered under the [[pr/laws/esa/|ESA]]. Because this stock did not show significant evidence of recovery thereafter, NMFS initiated a second Status Review in the spring of 2006.
In April 20, 2006, the Trustees for Alaska petitioned NMFS to list the Cook Inlet beluga whale as threatened or endangered under the ESA. NMFS evaluated the petition and conducted a status review.
In October 2008, NMFS determined that beluga whales needed protection under the ESA, and on October 22, 2008, listed the population as endangered.
In April 2009, NMFS solicited public comments and information in an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to designate critical habitat for Cook Inlet beluga whales. In December 2009, NMFS [[pr/pdfs/fr/fr74-63080.pdf|proposed critical habitat]] [pdf] for Cook Inlet beluga whales, also announced in this [[pr/pdfs/species/belugawhale_cookinlet_criticalhabitat_proposed.pdf|press releas]]e [pdf].
Sources
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/mammals/cetaceans/belugawhale.htm
http://aquaviews.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Beluga-Whale.jpg
http://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2006/03/CookInletMapLG.gif
http://www.defenders.org/images/factsheets/range/Rangemap__Beluga_550x400.jpg
The Killer Whale- Recent Endangered Species: By Josh Kotecki
Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Cetacea
Family: Delphinidae
Genus: Orcinus
Species: orca
Overview
Killer whales are commonly referred to as the orca and are widely distributed throughout the world’s oceans. They live in all oceans and all areas including the tropical and arctic waters. They have a diverse diet with the species eating according to their geographic location. They eat can eat salmon, seals, harbor seals, California sea lions, herring, stingrays, sharks and other various fish and seals. Killer whales have a certain color pattern with black dorsal and ventral portions and white patch above and behind eye and variable gray or white area behind dorsal fin. The male orca’s size can reach up to 32 feet and weigh 11 tons and females can reach 28 feet and weigh 8 tons. Their lifespan ranges with females living to an average of 50 years and males typically living to 35 years. They normally live in groups of 2 to 10 and communicate with clicks and whistle like most whales
Habitat
The killer whales are located in all oceans, but prefer the colder and temperate climates of the Arctic and the Antarctic waters. They are most numerous in the colder waters like in the northern Pacific, Iceland and Antarctica, but have been sighted along the shores of Washington, Oregon, California, and also warm water of Hawaii and Australia. They have great ability to venture into tropical waters and have even been seen in fresh water rivers around the world such as the Rhine, the Thames, and the Elbe. The orca can be found in both the open deep.
Major Threats
The orca is widely distributed throughout the world’s oceans, but the exact status of most populations of orcas is unknown. Two populations do receive special protections under federal law. The laws are the ESA Endangered, which protect the Southern Resident population and the MMPA Depleted law that protect the AT1 Transient population and Southern Resident population. There are some threats even though they have been commercially hunted or captured in the past 40 years within the U.S. water. There has been live capture and culling that has depleted the Southern Resident stock. Other threats include contaminants, depletion of prey to overfishing and habitat degradation and oil spills.
Conservation Efforts
One recent conversation effort was in 2005, when the U.S. government listed the southern resident community of killer whales as an endangered population under the ESA. Overall there is little if any direct attack on killer whales. In 1946 the IWC was created to stop whaling and even though killer whales are not directly on it, most large whaling has stopped and no visible whaling threat. Also in 2008, the IUCN changed killer whales from conservation dependent to data deficient meaning that they may actually be an endangered species. Other conservation efforts include a proposed plan for the southern resident under the MMPA, which include measures for more prey availability, less pollution and to stop and lessen oil spills. Many more efforts are being proposed to stop the orca from becoming endangered.
Citations
http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=84
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killer_whale
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/killer-whale/
http://www.acsonline.org/factpack/KillerWhale.html
Sharks are being overharvested for their fins by Amber Peters
Start with a title and a "byline" as above.
First, give a little bit of life history or information about the organism or resource that you have chosen.
Sharks are vertebrates that are members of the class Chondrichthyes. There fossil record extends back over 150 million years.
Next, describe the marine resource/organism that is being harvested and why it is a problem
Humans kill over 10 million sharks each year. The majority of these are killed just for their fins and the rest of the shark is discarded overboard. Many of these are killed illegallly, but since shark fin soup sells for up to $100 a bowl in parts of Asia, the profits can be high.
Finally, explain any recent legal changes that are affecting the marine resource/organism you choose and then describe at least 2 specific programs that are addressing the problem and leading to a solution.
In 2009, the United States passed legislation to prohibit landing of sharks without fins.Palau has made their entire EEZ a shark sanctuary.
Costa Rica has lead a program to stop shark harvesting.
Remember to add citations...these can just be URLs